My 13-yr-old daughter is looking for a way to make some money for her class trip to Rome next year. She is a talented drama kid (many lessons and performances), singer and musician. She does not have the time to be a regular mother's helper, nor do I want her to babysit yet on her own. We came up with the idea of her being a "Birthday Party Helper" but with a dramatic twist. She would come "In Character" for whatever theme the party was having. We have tons of beautiful, hand-made costumes so she could be anything from a princess to a pirate to a cowgirl to a caterpillar and more. We'd be willing to come-up with others if called for. She would create a "persona" for the character--complete with accent if called for. Her duties would include helping keep the kids focused, serve cake, lead games, help with crafts, perhaps even play guitar and lead in sing-a-longs, etc. I hired a girl her age when my daughter was 8-9 to help at parties (we have no family here) and it was very helpful.
I'd like some feedback (positive or negative) about this idea to see if there would be much interest. What themes might we need to accommodate? What duties would you want to see performed? What age ranges? Boys? Girls? How much would you be willing to pay? How much time? We live in Seattle, but I'd be willing to drive her to outer areas like Bellevue, Auburn, etc. Where do you suggest we advertise? Would flyers at stores like the PCC do it? You get the idea...let me know what you think. Is this something people would be interested in?
What a great idea! Although my kids are older, I would have been willing to pay $30-40/party. You could set up an advertisement her on Mamasource. Also, flyers at churches, daycare centers and schools.
Your daughter sounds like she would be a great helper to those music or preschools offering summer camps. Although I am not going to teach this summer, I would have loved to have a person like her around to help with the craft time, taking kids to the washroom, getting snacks, etc. Check out ads for summer camps in ParentMap or Seattle's Child, and contact them to see if they need any help in their camps. Your daughter would probably make minimum wage, but if she loves to sing, etc., it would give her experience for a better paying position in a few years.
Good luck!
That sounds like a great idea. All the things you list would be helpful to any parent who is having a party without the help of other parents. Right off the bat, I would say you are asking an awful lot of a 13 yo. I would suggest using what you have as an advertisement with a few bulleted points of what your daughter can actually do at the party while she is in character. You may want to have her "practice" at a few friends or neighbor parties to get a better idea of how much she can handle before advertising and such. Take pictures at the parties to put into a book to show people what she does. There are several free parenting mags in the area. Craigslist also (but be super careful with this) I think $10 - 15/hr to start would be good and charge more as different "services" are asked or required. Good luck. This is really a great idea.
Hi A., where in Seattle are you? I'm in Magnolia. I sell Skincare products Jafra Cosmetics and she actually could be a consultant in training if you think she might be interested in something like this. Also, is she interested in any yard work??
Please give me a call or write me back.
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E., Mom of 11 year old boy.
What a fabulous idea! I love that you are thinking about her own skills and talents and not just making her a babysitter because that's the only thing anyone has ever done.
I think the games and activities is an important part. Too much involvement in the logistics of the day will only make it harder for parents because they are going to be able to do SO much while she is busy with the kids. It would be cool for her to help the kids create their own dramas. Maybe a short skit for the parents. Or just the games depending on the age and focus of the kids. I can't imagine more than an hour of focused time. I would imagine 6-9 year olds would be pretty excited. Especially if you had costumes to share.
