“You just sit at your computer all day, Mom.”
They are right, but how do I explain what I do? And more importantly, how do I teach them all the important lessons about hard work, collaboration and problem solving that they will need when they enter the working world?
I know I’m not alone in pondering this challenge because I hear bakery candidates talk about this when they tell us about why they want to be a Great Harvest franchisee. Modeling honest, fun, positive, hard work for kids is commonly one of the many reasons for opening a local small business.
I recently got a chance to walk away from my computer for a couple of days and hear Elon Musk speak live at a big event. (No, my kids weren’t really impressed by this either – “Okay, so you go to meetings...? Wow…”)
If you don’t know who Elon is, he’s a serial entrepreneur, engineer and visionary -- founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors, SolarCity and SpaceX. Here’s a video of Elon Musk’s speech at the conference.
He shared his definition of a business as a “group of people coming together to create a product or service they all believe the world ought to have.” When everyone involved cares deeply about the purpose of the business, the business can survive the challenging times.
I was most impressed that he brought his 5 young kids on the trip and they toured a local business that manufactures titanium castings for SpaceX rockets. Even someone who runs businesses that make cars and rockets is excited to show his kids a foundry where things are really made.
One of our guest bloggers, Sara in Burlington, VT, captured so beautifully the scene of running a family business and raising kids:
In the coming weeks, as our bakery works through the Holidays, my heart will well up with gratitude for the people with whom Ethan and I share our work. They participate in the raising of our children, wiping little noses and teaching manners. They know the details of our lives, and they make the hours that I spend at work enjoyable. This is a family business, but the family that runs it is much bigger than just me, Ethan, and the kids. Our crew is made up of remarkable people who contribute their talents, humor, intelligence, and energy towards creating something that is bigger than the sum of its parts.
You can read Sara’s full post about Bread Store Gratitude here.
What do kids learn from being part of a family business?
- The importance of placing others first. A business isn’t about the owners. It’s about serving the customers and patiently teaching employees how to do the same.
- The satisfaction of a job well done. Watching people enjoy a slice of hot bread you just pulled from the oven is magical.
- Problem solving is a part of life. There is never a dearth of problems for a small business owner to solve. Having a front row seat to the continuous improvement process is invaluable.
What can I do to help my kids learn these lessons? We have a training bakery, so I can bring my daughter to lunch during Sandwich School.
And instead of explaining Elon Musk to my son as an entrepreneur, I describe him as the real life Tony Stark of Iron Man.
How about you? I'd love to hear in the comments section how you explain to your kids what you do at work.
Photo credits:
Rocket: jurvetson via photopin cc
Elon Musk: jurvetson via photopin cc
