Reply to what is wrong with modern kids and no motivation to shovel?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My kids were busy helping us chip through the ice dam at the foot of our driveway. They then went and helped a couple of our neighbors for a bit. But then they were exhausted as were all the adults out chipping away at the ice. [/quote]

This.  It's a lot.

Also some teens have probably dealt with the cranky entitled boomers who live around them who think that paying them $20 for multiple hours of back breaking work is great "pocket money".  Hell no.  Raise your price and you'll find someone willing.[/quote]

The boomers in my TH neighborhood were the most generous to my 12-yr-old kid, especially when they saw him showing up multiple times on Sunday, rotating between houses, clearing and salting, and making his last runs as the sun was setting. What were initially supposed to be $20-40 jobs, I sent him out on his own on Saturday to discuss terms and process with the "clients" who'd emailed me to see if he was available during the week. He let them all know that he would work throughout the day on Sunday to stay on top of it. They offered $20-40 for just clearing steps and sidewalks, as well as clearing snow off cars. At the end of the day, when he went to collect just before sunset, no one paid him less than $75.  He spent no more than an hour or so on each house. The snow and sleet were easy to move on Sunday, because both were so dry, the sleet, like nothing I've ever seen, was like little dry ice pellets, they could have been blown away with a leaf blower, hardly back-breaking at that point. But they saw him showing up throughout the day, and when he was there, he hustled. I got several emails that evening praising his commitment and diligence.

So much is about perception and relationships: showing up early (he started at 8 am), showing initiative, and working hard even when you don't think anyone is watching. My DC doesn't have a cell phone, so no one saw him standing around scrolling when he was supposed to be working. He was polite, reliable, and worked independently and steadfastly just as he said he would, which means a lot to Boomers and GenXrs.

I checked with him when he came in, made him a sandwich and some hot cocoa, and when he headed out the door, I reminded him to apply snow melt before he finished a pass, but I otherwise left him to it.

He followed up with the same customers on Monday, shovel in hand, to dig out cars that had a layer of plowed snow behind them, nothing major, and not expecting additional pay. Because he'd thrown down snow melt the evening before, he was pushing slush, not ice, from their stairs and walkways. It wasn't back-breaking.

For this, he received extra payments of $50-$100. Boomers and GenEx'rs have the money and often the actual cash around the house. And they know, appreciate, and reward hard work and initiative when they see them.  [/quote]

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