Days like today are days when Americans will go to church in the morning, rake leaves all day, and then settle into the easy chair with a six pack of beer and watch the football games. Some people will throw chicken or pork chops or a steak or two on the grill, to get in one last short barbecue before the weather turns bitter, bitter cold and the snow comes. It won't be long now, and we know it.
Children sometimes earn money by hiring themselves out to neighbors on days like this--to give the car one last hand wash or to rake the leaves or what have you. If someone comes by your door and you have some small chore they could do, you could turn it over to them and lay in your hammock and read while they work. It's not uncommon for 10-13 year olds to earn a little extra cash this way, or to try to. Remember that the job they do will not be professional, but you should encourage them to do a good job.
Expected rates for jobs like this are perhaps $10-15 per child for a small chore like raking a small yard or washing a compact car or sedan and doing the windows. Mowing the lawn also costs about this much or perhaps a little more for a larger yard. If you live in a neighborhood with half acre lots and you need the weeds whipped and the edges done, this will cost about $35, but this kind of work is generally sought by older teenagers, not younger ones, because it involves handling a weed wacker and an edger.
If you pay less, you will be thought of as "chintzy"--someone who doesn't value hard work because he isn't willing to pay for it. You needn't go overboard, but do remember that $5 buys almost nothing in this country. It's not unreasonable to pay an unskilled laborer $15 for an hour and a half of work.
On the other hand, there are kids whose manners are poor and who feel "entitled" and who will want ridiculous amounts of money, like $50 to mow your lawn. It's best to agree on a price before the job is done and what's to be done. It's similar to managing people at work: You lay out the task and the parts of the task and explain the rewards.
But there's a cultural element here also: Americans will tend to want to encourage kids who do show an interest in this sort of thing, because we say they have what is called "gumption"--a kind of get up and go, a desire to improve their lot in life. This is a very American idea and we encourage it.
It's not unusual for a kid to come by with his own mower and gas and tools; if he does, you'll want to pay him a little bit more due to the convenience he's providing you with; gasoline is not cheap and he probably has to know a thing or two about keeping his small engines running.
However, not all people will come with rakes or mowers of their own; it's not unusual for you to be expected to provide.
And of course, if the whole thing makes you uncomfortable, all you have to do is smile and say that you don't have any work available today. The kids don't care, they are working the neighborhood and will simply move on to the next door.
I hope I've explained this interesting quirk of American culture and how to handle it. Remember that I'm talking about kids, not adults. In this modern world, unfortunately, if an adult comes to your house looking for work, the safest thing to do is turn him down politely.
And remember if you have any questions about American culture, or you want to take a free short phone consult or schedule a free trial ESL or Accent Reduction lesson, feel free to give me a call at (732) 492-5360.
Also, I'd love it if you'd out my American Idiom of the Day page on twitter or my facebook page. 'Til next time, this is David Berlin, signing off! Goodbye!
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