Micaiah, our 8 year old, had a Business Day in 2nd grade last month. Each child had to create a “business” that sold either a good or a service. She came up with “Micaiah’s Brainy Brownies.” It is a fabulous recipe for brownies that has two secret ingredients…spinach and protein (these are gluten free and completely flourless!).  Her business was a hit in 2nd grade, to say the least!

Right around this time, we had sat our kids down and walked them through in detail what we do in our own home business. Nathan and I both work from home and we thought it might be a good idea to bring them in to what we are doing. Per suggestion of a good friend, Diane McCracken, we told them all the details and then created incentives for THEM to earn as we achieved our goals. We work for incentives, so why can’t they??  They LOVED the idea. We spent hours making a list of things they thought would be good incentives for themselves as they “helped” us hit our goals each month in our business.

This conversation fueled Micaiah to begin thinking non-stop about business. She asked when she could join us in our business and have her own (not till she’s 18!). But, much to our excitement, a few days later on a Saturday, she started her own little business. It was completely her idea. We saw her in our backyard collecting rocks from a huge rock pile we have a round a drainage ditch. Then we heard her in the bathroom cleaning every one. Next came the hairdryer to dry them all off quickly (she had money to make and had no time to waste on them air drying!).

Then came the massive amounts of paint, feathers, eyes, pom poms, markers, and glue, glue, and more glue!!  She worked tirelessly for hours that Saturday. Every day after school she all of a sudden miraculously LOVED doing her homework and would walk in, drop her bag, get it all done, and head to her work station for more rock painting.

That next weekend, she went out in the neighborhood with Nathan and knocked on doors to sell her Pet Rocks. She sold every one and came bursting through the front door waving $16 dollars!  That’s alot of money for an eight year old to make in 2 hours!  So, needless to say, she has the business fever. She’s worked non-stop on many other creations and is now taking orders.

Here are a few of Micaiah’s Pet Rocks

This is Phatty

This is Mo (Short for Mohawk)

This is Fred

This is Tuffin

And this is Marlin

Here is Marlin’s Story: This is the one she made especially for me….to match my blue, white and brown bedroom. I was woken up the other day to a sticky feeling on my hand. I opened my eyes to she a toothless grin and this rock in my hand, fresh glue still dripping off. She is amazing. Definitely made me giggle!