Last weekend, I “popped” back in to the Collingwood Farmer’s market where this time, I found a very persuasive 9-year old working at Annie’s Kettle Corn, in place of his older sister. With his winning smile, and the generous free samples of Buffalo Breath and Hot & Sassy, it was very hard to resist his sales pitch!

I also had a chance to chat with the owner Joanne, who proudly shared that:

• she does indeedpay her grandkids to work the stand,
• the hardest part of the job isn’t handling the cash or making the popcorn, but dealing with disgruntled customers,
• she believes working teaches her grandchildren valuable financial lessons, such as the connection between work and earning money, as well as giving them an opportunity to develop their interpersonal and communications skills.

I’m sure they also learned about product development and marketing. Something tells me the grandkids are inspiring and naming the popcorn flavours!

What valuable lessons did your kids learn from their summer jobs? 

If you need a little help teaching them how to save, spend, share or invest the money they earned this summer, consider picking up a copy of The Wisest Investment.