"Playground Assistant" -- hire a 5 year old at $5/hr

[Anonymous]

I pay a local 9 year old $5 to come over to our house to play with my 4 year old. It’s an awesome arrangement. DD loves playing with her and my “mother’s helper” learns some responsibility/leadership and earns a bit of money.

Best $5 I spend.

Not for a 5 year old though!

[Anonymous]

Guys, it’s not babysitting! The mom paying $5 obviously would still be there.

I maintain this is a way better deal than art or lemonade. Or the motherf$&ing wrapping paper that has like 1.5 ft/roll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter used to go door to door selling painted rocks and drawings she had made to the neighbors, she made a lot of money that way. At age 5 or 6. A few years later she sold bracelets she had woven. I had nothing to do with any of it.

Your daughter didn't "make a lot of money". She was given "a lot of money" because neighbors were too nice to say no. There was a group of girls in our neighborhood who went around trying to sell painted rocks on a weekly basis last summer. After giving them $5 twice, I asked them to help me with weeding and I would pay them. They laughed, said no, and never came back.

$5!! I’m not paying that much for a painted rock!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is very funny. I assume it’s a spoof post? “Preschool graduate” is over the top. OP, is the listserv anonymous? Can you please reply to the mom and ask for a copy of the 5 year old’s CV and last preschool progress report?

THIS! LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Guys, it’s not babysitting! The mom paying $5 obviously would still be there.

I maintain this is a way better deal than art or lemonade. Or the motherf$&ing wrapping paper that has like 1.5 ft/roll.

Deal for what? What does the payor get out of this arrangement? Seems like the benefit is all for the 5 yr old. She’s not bored at the park, makes money, and her mom can tune out. Maybe the 5 yr should offer to pay her playmates for the opportunity to play with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Letting your kid go around begging ("selling" junk) is a good way to make the neighborhood dislike you.

This is ... just not a nice thing to say.

It’s the truth. DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Letting your kid go around begging ("selling" junk) is a good way to make the neighborhood dislike you.

This is ... just not a nice thing to say.

DP here
It's a perfectly fine and TRUE thing to say. What's "not a nice thing" is letting your kid harass the neighbors.

I don't see it as any different than a lemonade stand. Wouldn't let my child be pushy but otherwise seems fine. That being said my DH got upset that a (somewhat bratty) child in our neighborhood overcharged me for something lol

Its not like a lemonade stand if you are soliciting door to door. Set up your table of crafts and let buyers come to you. Then it’s like a lemonade stand. Skip the door knocking.

Thank you. Exactly.

And I have more kids than 90% of DCUM does, so don’t bother with the tired yOu mUsT nOt hAve KiDs line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Letting your kid go around begging ("selling" junk) is a good way to make the neighborhood dislike you.

This is ... just not a nice thing to say.

DP here
It's a perfectly fine and TRUE thing to say. What's "not a nice thing" is letting your kid harass the neighbors.

I don't see it as any different than a lemonade stand. Wouldn't let my child be pushy but otherwise seems fine. That being said my DH got upset that a (somewhat bratty) child in our neighborhood overcharged me for something lol

Its not like a lemonade stand if you are soliciting door to door. Set up your table of crafts and let buyers come to you. Then it’s like a lemonade stand. Skip the door knocking.

Thank you. Exactly.

And I have more kids than 90% of DCUM does, so don’t bother with the tired yOu mUsT nOt hAve KiDs line.

It doesn’t matter, they set up a stand and then they just get you when you walk by lol.

I don’t mind, even I can’t be that cranky all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guys, it’s not babysitting! The mom paying $5 obviously would still be there.

I maintain this is a way better deal than art or lemonade. Or the motherf$&ing wrapping paper that has like 1.5 ft/roll.

Deal for what? What does the payor get out of this arrangement? Seems like the benefit is all for the 5 yr old. She’s not bored at the park, makes money, and her mom can tune out. Maybe the 5 yr should offer to pay her playmates for the opportunity to play with them.

Dp. When my oldest was two, he was constantly running after older kids, trying to join. He would have loved this arrangement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guys, it’s not babysitting! The mom paying $5 obviously would still be there.

I maintain this is a way better deal than art or lemonade. Or the motherf$&ing wrapping paper that has like 1.5 ft/roll.

Deal for what? What does the payor get out of this arrangement? Seems like the benefit is all for the 5 yr old. She’s not bored at the park, makes money, and her mom can tune out. Maybe the 5 yr should offer to pay her playmates for the opportunity to play with them.

Dp. When my oldest was two, he was constantly running after older kids, trying to join. He would have loved this arrangement.

Who in their right mind would pay for it? If you go the park, there will be other kids there. The kids who want this arrangement tend to find each other easily.

[Anonymous]

Terrible. Child labor laws anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A parent on a neighborhood listserv is trying to market her kindergarten-age daughter -- "highly verbal," "highly entrepreneurial," and "preschool graduate" -- as a paid mother's helper at the playground for kids ages 3+. The girl is asking $5 an hour to interact with kids. Mom says she will linger in the background and offers to keep a look out "discreetly supervising for safety/quality control," but makes it clear that she thinks her daughter should/can be the one to actually watch other people's children. The idea that the girl will eventually want her own push on the swing or a turn on the slide herself doesn't seem to have occurred to her -- although she does call it a "playdate" when she encourages people to contact her to arrange an outing.

Preschool graduate?!!! I would pass Ludicrous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A parent on a neighborhood listserv is trying to market her kindergarten-age daughter -- "highly verbal," "highly entrepreneurial," and "preschool graduate" -- as a paid mother's helper at the playground for kids ages 3+. The girl is asking $5 an hour to interact with kids. Mom says she will linger in the background and offers to keep a look out "discreetly supervising for safety/quality control," but makes it clear that she thinks her daughter should/can be the one to actually watch other people's children. The idea that the girl will eventually want her own push on the swing or a turn on the slide herself doesn't seem to have occurred to her -- although she does call it a "playdate" when she encourages people to contact her to arrange an outing.

Preschool graduate?!!! I would pass Ludicrous

Is it a prestigious preschool?