Your Kid’s First Side Hustle Shouldn’t Be Lemonade

(And yes… I said what I said.)

We’re raising a generation of kids who are sharper, more tech-savvy, and more capable than we ever were at their age — so why are we still handing them a piggy bank shaped like a cartoon dinosaur and calling it “financial literacy”?

Look, I love a good lemonade stand moment. It’s adorable. But if the goal is to raise confident, financially fierce humans? We need to level up.

This is the stuff I wish someone taught me long before I was babysitting for $5 an hour or hustling at Papa John’s for the free pizza perks. And, yes, I do realize that babysitting pays far better these days but I still believe that we can do better.

Let’s break it down by age — real mom-style, the way we actually learn things: with humor, practicality, and a sprinkle of “we’re figuring it out as we go.”

Ages 5–8: Start With the Basics (But Make It Real)

Kids at this age are tiny math machines if you give them the chance. Instead of giving dollar bills “just because,” try:

• Three Jars — Spend, Save, Share. Visual, simple, effective. And yes, they love dropping coins in them.

• Let them earn by contributing, not by existing. We don’t do chores-for-chore’s-sake around here. We do missions. Missions = value creation. Kids understand that way quicker than we think.

• Turn everyday moments into math practice. Count their coins. Compare two prices.Have them pay the cashier.

They don’t need to run a business. They need to understand effort → reward → choice. That’s money muscle.

Ages 9–12: Decisions, Delayed Gratification, and “Do I Really Want This?”

Welcome to the golden years of “I want this, I want that,” and the very popular, “But Mom, pleeeeease.”

This is where the magic happens:

• Convert dollars into effort. “That $50 hoodie is about seven missions — want it enough to earn it?”

  Suddenly, money becomes real.

• Introduce goal savings. Kids LOVE watching progress. It becomes a game they actually want to win.

• Talk trade-offs without the guilt trip.“You can buy that now, or you can save for something you’ll be obsessed with later.” Give them power, not pressure.

This is the age where they start understanding that money isn’t the villain or the hero — it’s a tool.

Ages 13+: Let’s Talk Real Hustles and Real Wealth (Yes… They Get It)

Teenagers are capable of so much more than taking out the trash and scrolling TikTok. They can absolutely run mini-empires if we show them how.

Side hustles that don’t require a car or a corporate handbook:

• Reselling sneakers or clothing

• Dog walking

• Wash-the-neighborhood’s-cars Saturdays

• Baking or treat boxes

• Babysitting

• Canva graphics or simple digital design

Give them a taste of “I can create value and people will pay me for it” and you will NEVER get that kid to settle for mediocrity again.

And yes… talk about compound interest.

Their eyes will go wide when you show them:

$50 a month invested as a teen → can turn into over $1,000,000 over their lifetime.

Let them see it. Let them run the numbers. Teens LOVE power — give them the kind that builds futures.

Family Finance Night (Fun, I Promise)

Pick one night. Order pizza. Make it low-pressure. Then choose ONE thing to work on:

• Open a kid-friendly savings account

• Create a mission-based earn-and-learn system

• Set a money goal for the month

• Brainstorm a summer hustle challenge

Let your kids lead it.They surprise you when you give them the mic.

Tools to Make Your Mom-Life Easier

If you want tech to help:

• Greenlight

• Step

Both are great for introducing spending, saving, earning, and even investing — without handing over full control or crossing your fingers like we did in the '90s.

And… Something Exciting Is Coming

We’ve built a step-by-step guide to raising financially confident kids without becoming the money police. We are taking it next level and bringing even more to life and to be able to teach, stay tuned.

It will include:

• A workshop

• An e-book

• Templates

• Missions

• Scripts

• Systems

• And all the things we wish someone handed us before parenthood happened to us

Teaching kids about money shouldn’t feel like a chore (for them or us).It can be playful, empowering, and honestly… fun.

And no — your kid’s first hustle does NOT need to include squeezing lemons on a Saturday morning.