Got Kids..want Them To Do This Biz.

[PRESSURE PACKED 14]

I Have A 2 And 3 Year Old And Have Some Pretty Nice Commercial Accounts. And I Think To Myself It Would Be Cool To Have My Boy Eventually Take Over And My Girl To Maket Etc..what Are Some Of Your Thoughts Experiences

[Jeff 232]

I Have A 2 And 3 Year Old And Have Some Pretty Nice Commercial Accounts. And I Think To Myself It Would Be Cool To Have My Boy Eventually Take Over And My Girl To Maket Etc..what Are Some Of Your Thoughts Experiences

I have no experiience yet, But I have a 3 yr old boy and our new baby 4 months and a big part of my motivation to grow & succeed is for them. I too would like to see them in this biz. Now i will try to get them to go to college and wouldnt mind at all if they did something else, but I want this biz to be there for them. I know I'll have them working with me at a young age to teach them work ethic and to show them work is tough, but I want them to be tough

I'd love to see them with all their skills they learn in school and with me to take JL Pressure Washing to bigger & better and be able to live comfortably off the family biz

You have a nice dream for your kids, I think many fathers dream the same as you do. Hopefully it turns into the real deal

Nowadays you never know, your boy may be the marketing genius and you daughter may be cracking the whip on the 20 work crews you'll have.

[FCPWLLC 233]

Here's our 19 year old giving low-pressure downstreaming a try.

"I'm not wearing one of those uniforms!" .... LOL

So much for her... Maybe my 4 year old son will pan out.

[Scott Stone 604]

I have two sons that are old enough to work and have some value. One is 6'2" and 235 and 15 years old. The other is 6'1", 180 and 17. Both are good size boys. Neither one of them wants ANYTHING to do with the business. Of course, the younger one is a 4.0 student and just got a 218 on his PSAT,(That is REALLY high) He earns money by tutoring kids. The other got a 32 on his ACT (Really high again) and earns money by working in a book store. At least I dont have to totally support them.

Really, it depends on the kid. Some like it, some don't. I start them when they are about 12 and pay them to clean windows and such, and try to give them a meaningful work experience. If nothing else, it is a good time to develop a relationship with the boys, and that is worth the money I pay them.

[JFife 14]

Congrats on your boys' success, Scott. I'd FORCE them (sounds like that might be tough, LOL:)) to help you, for no other reason than to substantiate in their mind that this isn't the direction they want to go in. That way, if they start getting lazy/slacking in college, you can say, "don't sweat it kid. You know you can always come home anytime and work for your old man---I always imagined you'd be a truckwasher, anyway." Not meaning to insult our profession, but with their intelligence levels I'd say they could put it to some more challenging use.

If I had a son, the main things I'd instill in him (workwise) is well-rounded skills. In college, I swear none of my friends new how to do common things like change oil, brakes, use a tape meaure (to frame,etc), basic frame knowledge, drywall, etc. My dad didn't teach me this stuff either---moreso just picked it up, and worked construction in HS in summers. Priceless experience. I'd want a kid by the time he was 18 to know mechanical basics, and carpentry basics, and enough trade basics to be dangerous. Also have a good grasp of all things financial, i.e. recordkeeping, bookeeping, checkbook, understanding debt/credit, etc.

[Scott Stone 604]

Not to worry, they are plenty forced, and they definitely know how to work.

[JFife 14]

They play football Scott??

[Barry M 73]

I just want to make enough money to give my kids (3) the opportunitiy they deserve, what ever that may be.

[Ron Musgraves 240]

They play football Scott??

With Grades like that Jon, Not likely..

I will not allow work for me, but I need not worry. One is a cadet on gilbert Fire and the other will attend ASU or some other college next year.

My daughter will recieve full scholarship.

My youngest is 13 and will Play ball likely in college. (football & Baseball)

Of course you never know what the future holds.

Its been a nice profession and i love it. I just want my children like my father did make them stand on there own feet.

Taking over for me I'm affraid would be one on those midlife mistakes they may blame on me later in life.

I don't hire freinds or family.

[PRESSURE PACKED 14]

THANKS.....I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE MOST GLAMORUS PROFESSION AND AS JOHN SAID GETTING A HIGH SCORE ON S.A.T.'S THEY CAN PROBABLY GET A GOOD JOB IN CORPORATE AMERICA, BUT CORPORATE AMERICA SUCKS..NOW IF THEY ARE A DOCTOR OR SOMETHING WHERE THEY WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO WORK..ie ENGINEER, IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE MAKING THIS TYPE OF MONEY,AND BELIEVE ME I KNOW MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING, BUT REMEMBER THIS

MONEY CANT BUY TOU EVERYTHING BUT HAPPINNESS CANT BUY YOU SH_T

[Deck Guy 14]

I just want my son to grow up to be an honorable, decent, self-sufficient man.

Many people on this board are totally happy and financially secure in this biz, but most have backgrounds elsewhere. I'd definitely like to see him go out into the world on his own, at least initially. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with family businesses though. I have friends who have done very well for themselves following in their father's footsteps.

I tried to get my son interested in being an Air Traffic Controller (my day job), but he has never really had an interest. I started taking him flying with me when he was still in a child-seat, and he's been in my control tower many times. He just has no interest in it. Too bad, since I could grease the wheels for him a bit. I guess familiarity breeds contempt.

He graduates HS in a couple weeks, and is still deciding where to go afterward (next fall). He's angling for a career in the music business, but like most kids, I don't think he realizes that he will have to start at the bottom. We'll just have to see how things pan out for him.

[Don M. 14]

Almost every day I kick myself for not taking over my Father's business. He owned a well drilling/water installation business. It did very well.

The problem was I started working for him when I was about 9 years old. Every summer I spent working for him. By the time he wanted to retire I was just burned out and wanted to try my own thing.

[Thad 135]

I told my kids that if they would at least learn to do some of the stuff I do then they will have the ability to make money while in college or whenever they need some extra money. Even cleaning storefront windows pays a heck of a lot better than flipping burgers or waiting tables.

I did the corporate thing for too many years and was glad that I had the ability to get out of the rat race and still support my family. I want them to have the same option.

[Scott Stone 604]

They play football Scott??

Ron was right. Neither one has any athletic ability. It is really pretty sad because they go to a perrenial powerhouse Highschool, and they are both bigger than anyone on the Offensive line. So they study and are geeks like their dad.

[Jeff 232]

Ron was right. Neither one has any athletic ability. It is really pretty sad because they go to a perrenial powerhouse Highschool, and they are both bigger than anyone on the Offensive line. So they study and are geeks like their dad.

You know I was talking to a freind of mine from my school days, we both smoked pot, got drunk and eventually did drugs. We both did well in the trades union, but we still got drunk & high, all the way through school and well into our adult life. The money & time I wasted in my life is sad. Well we both have talked many times about it, ya we had some fun, lots of fun, but as I got older and now I realized what a waste.

There was 3 kinds of kids in our town like many other towns, There was the Jocks, The Geeks and the Burnouts. We both said we wish we were at least a jock and really wished we were one of the Geeks who now are successful and it didnt take them into there late thirties to be successful.

I pray that my children never are in the burnout crowd and I already talk to my son about drugs & drinking a little and try to explain to him about right & wrong. I rather have my children be the biggest SO CALLED geeks then ever do even a little what I did in my younger days . I rather they have a 4.0 average then worry about getting a good 4 finger bag of pot.

I wish the very best for my kids and all of yours too.

[GymRat 14]

No way, both of my children have graduated college and have started their own careers. My son is a mechanical engineer, and my daughter is in her first year as a school teacher. Both have helped me on jobs and pretty much understand it is a blue collar business and not for them. We have taught them the value of hard work, and hope that takes them far in their careers.