Jobs

We have been delivering a paper route (we only deliver once a week, 300 papers) for over a year now. We have had some ups, and some downs. The boys have learned unbelievable life lessons. They have learned to pay tithing, save, work even when they DO NOT want to, be accountable to a boss, learn how to use their money (they get to keep 50% for their own spending), learn about interest (Chet and I have had to borrow money from Carter more than once to pay a babysitter cash and then we pay him back the next day with "interest", or $1 on borrowing $20.), learn that working is what you make it - its not fun unless you make it that way, to work as a team and think logically about how to best and the fastest way to do things, think ahead about when is the best time to deliver - in the summer early morning 7:00 am and in the winter RIGHT after school so it doesn't get dark, and about taxes. When you buy things, there is a tax on it, and if you buy something big, like a gun, the tax amounts to an entire months delivering. Carter now wants to buy everything in Billings, since there is no tax. Even things like a watch from Walmart. He waits until we go to Billings. I have learned that things don't just come natural. Kids need to be taught work ethic. I think they have learned respect for people's things, and also respect for themselves to do it right the first time, or go back and do it again until it is. They used to try to get a way with mistakes, and now without even looking at me, they fix them. They are young enough that they still listen when I tell them how to fix things, and I love that I get to form their work ethic this way. I know I only have a few more years that they will actually listen to me. Is it a ton of work for me? YES!!! When I am overwhelmed and crying that I have too much on my plate and tell Chet that I have to quit the paper route, I am thankful that he has encouraged me to keep it. It has been a wonderful thing overall! So this last week someone from our neighborhood came and asked if our boys would be willing to feed their dogs. The boys were elated! They go twice a day and let them out, refill food and water, take them on a few walks, and play a little with them. They live a little too far away for them to be walking in this cold weather so we take them down. It seems that we are working as much as them with their jobs. However, as we were all stuffing papers today, the boys were talking about all the ways that they can make money in the future. I LOVED hearing them, and giving them ideas. They are worried about having enough money for their missions, so they want to earn everything possible (which I also love!). They want to make flyers and take them to the neighborhood this summer and offer to pet watch for money. Then they started asking if we were going to pay anything for their missions (which of course we are, but don't want them to know that). I told them they should ask for sponsors after they get their mission calls. They should ask aunts and uncles and papas to sponsor them with any amount they can each month, with a promise that they will write them a letter every week and let them know what their money did that week. They loved that idea (wink wink aunts, uncles, and papas!) I love to see their little minds working. I love to see them proud to work, and so willing. I love them! I hope that some day they will be great providers for their families, like their dad is for ours. I think that they are well on their way. And I think that I will be doing a paper route for about 10 years. Cael begs to deliver already!