Mom surprises kids with at-home job fair to teach them about allowances: 'If you want it, work for it, earn it!'
Shaketha Marion McGregor means business when it comes to teaching her kids about the importance of work and money. That’s why the single mom hosted a job fair for household duties, complete with applications and interviews, so her kids could begin to work for their allowances.
“If you want it, work for it, earn it!” McGregor wrote in a now viral Facebook post. “And yes, I also have an in home credit union.”
After McGregor’s three kids, Jahkeem, 13, Takeia, 10, and Serinity, 6, repeatedly asked for allowances, new cellphones, and money to do fun activities, the Georgia mom recognized an opportunity to teach her kids about the value of work, time management, and money.
“I was thinking, that there’s a way we can all get what we want. There needed to be more housework done at home and they wanted money,” McGregor, 30, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “It’d be perfect for them to work for the things that they really want.”
Having recently finished the employment process herself, McGregor decided to create job positions for chores around the house so her kids could begin to work for their allowances and learn an important life lesson in the process.
When her children came home on Aug. 13, she surprised them with an at-home job fair with a help-wanted ad for positions, including kitchen manager, lead housekeeper and laundry supervisor at This Mom Means Business, Inc. Her children had to fill out job applications asking about their previous experience, desired salary and availability before undergoing interviews held in “Mom’s room.”
According to images of their completed applications on her Facebook, Jahkeem and Serinity both applied for lead housekeeper, while Takeia applied for laundry supervisor.
The interview process proved to be more successful for some than others. While McGregor says she’s making her son Jahkeem re-apply after laughing for much of the interview, McGregor was impressed by her two daughters.
“My 10-year-old thought that speaking with a slight British accent would help her,” McGregor tells Yahoo Lifestyle. ”Serinity surprised me the most. She was very professional. It seemed like she’s done this before.” Ultimately, Serinity was hired as lead housekeeper over Jahkeem.
With more than 126,000 shares on Facebook, parents are praising McGregor for her “brilliant” way of teaching her kids to have fiscal responsibility.
“You are an awesome mama! Those kids are lucky they have a mom who will raise them right with respect, love and laughter!” one Facebook user commented.
Meanwhile, other parents said they were eager to try the exercise at home with their own children. “I love this idea!” one Facebook user wrote. “Great way to teach kids responsibility with chores and money!”
After going through a series of financial troubles herself, McGregor also wanted to teach her kids to be financially prepared for any unexpected situations. The mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, and was later devastated by a house fire that left the family homeless. But McGregor worked tirelessly to get the family back on their feet.
“I want them to really know that there’s nothing wrong with earning the things you really want in life. There’s so much to be learned about that,” McGregor, a correctional officer, says. She hopes to show other parents it’s never too early to teach children about the money — and to have a little fun in the process.
“You don’t have to wait until they’re 18 to learn about hiring, money management, and credit. It’s a great way to educate your children and have that quality family time together,” says McGregor.
She adds: “Invest in your kids and have fun with it!”
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