One Of Those Tear Jerker Mother-Daughter Moments

Posted on 07.17.08 in Parenthood and there are 15 comments.

She spoke the words I’ve longed to hear since I began this journey of motherhood....

“Mommy, I want to start a business. Will you help me?”

Through mist-filled eyes and with visions of office supplies dancing in my head, I pulled her close and said, “Of course dear. Shall we make it a DBA or LLC?”

The Small Person is intent on starting a business. Exercising her patience as much as a 6 year old can, she asks about it every 4.5 minutes.

She’s made some great decisions so far, though. It will be a cookie business and she plans to sell chocolate chip and sugar cookies since they have the widest appeal. (She’s so smart.)

Other business principles will have to wait, however.

Today, I tried to explain expenses - paying for supplies and such.

She cried.

I guess I’ll hold off on charging her for flour till she’s raking in the “dough.”

Well, I’d better go design her business cards, create her web site and set up her money market account.

I love this parenting thing…

Your Turn

What businesses did you start (or plan to start) when you were a kid? 

The Comments:

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I started a detective business...except no one ever hired me.

Actually, I was mortified when my dad had me start a cookie business in the 5th grade.  He had me purchase the supplies, bake the cookies and then go around our neighborhood saying cheerfully, “I have some delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies for you!” (5th grade eyeroll inserted here) I just wanted to mumble, “Would you like to buy some cookies?” He had me keep a little record book and taught me about net profit and gross profit etc. 

Looking back, I’m thankful that he did that for me!  I was just a dumb 5th grader at the time and didn’t realize how sweet that was.  I actually sold cookies to a few restaurants for a brief time as a result.

I started a car wash. But since I lived on a farm in the middle of no where, my grandpa was my only customer.  I would wash his car, then he would drive around the property, and then come back with it all dirty again.  Hilarious!

I wasn’t much of the entrepreneur, but my brother was, and I helped him with all his business ventures… from selling moths we caught, to lemonade stands, to raking leaves.  I don’t remember seeing any of the money that came from that though… hmmm.... 

The older I got, and after I’d read all of the “baby-sitting club” book series, I did start a baby sitting business and watched my neighbors 4 daughters regularly.  They were like the little women, so much fun.

Kristin, did you get much for the moths?

I can remember the standard lemonade stand, but that’s it.  I just don’t have the self-employed bug in me.

(Psst.  By the way, Kat, I know where you can score some primo real imitation Sharpies and binders for a song.)

Jenn, that is grandpa greatness.  What a cool story.

I sold my sister’s dolls.  Until she caught me.

What a cute idea!  I wasn’t much of an entrepreneur.  Maybe because I couldn’t spell the word?  Ha!

I’ve been offline a while and have missed your blog!

We just had a garage sale today (more of a meet-our-neighbors outreach than a money-maker), and my girls sold chocolate-chip cookies and lemonade. They made $6.60 (not quite enough to cover supplies). They had a blast!

My best friend, Charity, and I once made Christmas wall hangings out of pine cones and ribbon.  We took them up and down the street, trying to sell them, saying that half of the money we raised was going to Charity.  Ha!  We thought we were so clever… but I don’t think we sold one.

Keri,
Isn’t it funny how many things that we loathed when we were little, we’re so thankful for now? Ah...for the wisdom to have enjoyed it at the time…

Jenn,
What a wonderful grandfather!! That’s classic.

Kristin,
Selling moths? That’s hilarious…

I only babysat once. I got $2. I think I was underpaid.

Euphrony,
Um...black market office supplies. I’m so there.

Deemus,
Ha!

Lisa H,
Did you know Brooke Fraser is coming to Dallas? She’ll be at the house of blues...if you go, let me know and we can meet up.

Marla,
It’s good think The Small Person doesn’t read my blog. She might be disappointed in the income potential of the cookie business…

Annie,
Sounds like you were a “cause marketing” pioneer!

The only time I did anything “business-like” as a child was the Sunday afternoon that my brother and I decided we could make loads of money having a garage sale. So we gathered up everything we could find and plopped in out in our front yard with little tags on each item. Fortunately, before we could sell anything, my Mom came running out to stop us. I say “fortunately” because it mostly consisted of all our toys, clothes and her kitchen items. We would have been naked, bored children with nothing to eat. =)

Euphrony -

Imitation Sharpies? That’s like, heresy!

hahaha awesome post, kat!

Awesome- I want some

Hehehehe @ crying over expenses.

This is the cutest post I’ve read today. Well done Kat.

In case you’re wondering, I found your blog via Nate Scott -> Mommy Scott -> Your blog’s Positive Tuesday.

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