Working With Your Children

Why would anyone want to work with their children, if they were not running their own business? 

     I have asked myself this question a few times over the last year. When my oldest began working with me it was because she found out she was pregnant and needed a different job and she was able to get one at the store I worked at, however, I was not willing to drive more in order for her to get back and forth to work. She moved in with me. She is still living with me. 

     My youngest daughter has been home from college since the beginning of May. She has applied for multiple jobs, nothing came of it. She applied where I currently work and was hired. 

     Now to answer the question: It's not that I WANT to work with my children, it's been a matter of necessity, for them and that can help me as well. My oldest needed something to help her prepare for the new baby, without a car of her own it was going to be difficult for her to get back and forth. My youngest needs a job so she can prepare to go back to college in August. Working with me now allows her the chance to make good money, work descent hours and pay for her own things so I don't have. 

     Working with my youngest though, she is difficult at home and I know how she is, trying to keep that from happening at work is a bit of a chore. Day one of her new job we ended up working 13.5 hours, day two 9.10 and day three was 7.02 hours. Her motivation at this point is the pay check. Every day she asked me how much she has made for the day, before taxes. She wants to keep track of what she makes and plan out what she can buy for school, when she can get her drivers license and change her last name. 

     Working with your children is not always an ideal situation, I've struggled slightly with not treating her like her my daughter and treating her like an employee. She finds it weird to call me by my first name so she is still calling me mom, which is fine with me, it would be odd to hear her call me by my first name. 

     If you have to work with your child and it's not in your own business, I highly recommend that you try to work in different areas, work different shifts if possible. I also recommend that you not be in an authoritative position over your own child, there is a fine line between between acting like relatives and coworkers. Fortunately I am not in an authoritative position over my daughter. I can teach her my job and about how the various stores work but it is not my job to tell her what to do. She knows that having this job and doing a good will reflect on me, good and bad, so far she is doing pretty good. A lack of understanding this job, so far, has created some frustration for her but she is only going to be working with me until she has to go back to school, in August. 

     Working with your children may not be what you want, but if it is for a short time and can help them become a bit more financially independent then I would recommend it.