DawnM Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 My son is home from college, I think I have posted on another thread about how he worked at a local restaurant all last summer and then again during Christmas break. He told his boss he was taking a 3.5 week long trip this summer and the boss said that was fine, he knew he was a quality worker and he would work around the trip. FF to May, when son got out of school, and that manager had left. The new manager didn't know my son and said they couldn't work around his schedule. GRRRR. So I have promised him I would come up with enough things for him to do to give him the necessary funds for what he needs. So far, this kid has unpacked about 25 boxes, kept the house clean, detailed my car, mowed the lawn, taken out shrubs, moved things to the small shed we have on our property, taken things to the thrift store, grocery shopped, and been a real help. He has also cooked some meals Give me some suggestions of things I can have him do for me. He is a very hard worker. I am running out of things for him to do! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 I don’t know but what a blessing! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 if this was my house: paint baseboards Clean out the car cut grass and weed eat Wash and dust all light fixtures and ceiling fans Socialize those kittens on the back porch (my cat had 7 kittens on Mother’s Day and they need to be handled to be tame enough to find homes for) pressure wash anything that needed it take care of routine car maintenance like oil changes clean and organize the garage what about creating a home inventory for insurance purposes? I’ve always meant to do this 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historically accurate Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Maybe: pressure washing house/patio do you have a pool? Taking care of chemicals could be done. do your gutters need cleaning? Windows wash all bedding/curtains 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Can you loan him to others? Are there elderly people or someone else in need of help whom he could serve, if you run out of projects? 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 6 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said: if this was my house: paint baseboards Clean out the car cut grass and weed eat Wash and dust all light fixtures and ceiling fans Socialize those kittens on the back porch (my cat had 7 kittens on Mother’s Day and they need to be handled to be tame enough to find homes for) pressure wash anything that needed it take care of routine car maintenance like oil changes clean and organize the garage what about creating a home inventory for insurance purposes? I’ve always meant to do this I wonder if he could paint the trim on our house? There are areas that are 3 stories tall, so I am a bit nervous about that, but, hmmmmm.... It is currently yellow. I am NOT a yellow person at all and I don't like it. I want a dark gray. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 2 minutes ago, ScoutTN said: Can you loan him to others? Are there elderly people or someone else in need of help whom he could serve, if you run out of projects? I thought of that. Not sure I know anyone off hand, but I will keep thinking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Ok, I will tell you what I would use it for and maybe you could extrapolate it for some big project you would like done. I would love to get my photographs/memorabilia whittled down and organized. I started a few summers ago, but couldn't go back. 1. Step number one was getting all of the massive tubs that were just dumping grounds of photographs, and memorabilia and going through them and organizing them by date and throwing out a lot of stuff and putting duplicates into each child's small underbed box. (I kept every ticket, every program, every brochure from a trip from 1980- 2005 or so...) I got through all but one tub. To be honest, that last tub can only be my job probably. 2. Take the dated tubs and digitize them, create some kind of easy scrapbook ( as in stick the photo in and maybe write something by hand). One of my children might be able to help digitize once I did this. 3. Organize digital photos starting in 2001. This is something one of my children could do. He could add the physical photos he digitized. I also have photo folders of things I have scanned from my family like letters from WWII and old photos. 4. I need to go through all of those digital photos and cull them. 5. Create a limited family history of the digital and physical stuff. Probably I need to do this, but maybe not. 6. Create videos of individual trips or a montage of several trips. My children could do this. To be honest, my oldest son did some of this when he was in college. It was something I had him do because he wasn't working. (That and I made him volunteer at the food pantry to get him out of the house and interacting with actual people.) So I would think through big, giant projects you would like to do. Having an assistant might help you actual finish the decluttering or whatever you want to do. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 4 minutes ago, DawnM said: I wonder if he could paint the trim on our house? There are areas that are 3 stories tall, so I am a bit nervous about that, but, hmmmmm.... It is currently yellow. I am NOT a yellow person at all and I don't like it. I want a dark gray. He sounds more than capable of doing this. With proper equipment. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching3bears Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Pick weeds, plant flowers, vegetables, paint/repair fence, clean windows, window screens, clean outside trim, clean basement He might be able to find a job for a few weeks babysitting, pet sitting, mowing lawns, or as a personal care assistant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 1 hour ago, Scarlett said: I don’t know but what a blessing! Agreed!! Do your windows need cleaning? Mine sure do. lol Anyway, if you can’t think of anything, send him my way. 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 35 minutes ago, Teaching3bears said: Pick weeds, plant flowers, vegetables, paint/repair fence, clean windows, window screens, clean outside trim, clean basement He might be able to find a job for a few weeks babysitting, pet sitting, mowing lawns, or as a personal care assistant. After he puts the mosquito treatment on our yard, if he feels he can do that easily, I am going to encourage him to advertise for treatments to yards for a set price. I think the experts charge $90-$100 per 1 acre treatment. He could do that for $50-$60 I am sure. The only issue is that he goes back to school in mid-Aug. so that may not work. Most people want treatment through September. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 Thanks guys, you are getting me thinking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 This might be a good time for him to advertise as a house/pet sitter with people going away for vacations. Most folks would rather have Fido stay at home than pay for a kennel. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 21 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said: This might be a good time for him to advertise as a house/pet sitter with people going away for vacations. Most folks would rather have Fido stay at home than pay for a kennel. Maybe. The NextDoor app is flooded with these posts of HS and college kids to babysit or watch pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Could he teach your little guy something? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 34 minutes ago, Drama Llama said: Could he teach your little guy something? Maybe, he already spends a lot of time with him, but doesn't want payment for it. Little guy will be at school 8-2:30 throughout the summer though, so that will be a help to us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 My dreaded summer projects are cleaning the windows inside and out (and screens) and cleaning all of the carpets. And de-greasing the kitchen. I would gladly pay a kid to do that for me. That's probably just 3 days of work though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 He sounds wonderful! Some things I need done around here in case any of it inspires you: Clean out all kitchen cupboards and pantry, get rid of stuff that's expired, donate stuff we won't use, and reorganize so categories of stuff are stored in their own cupboards. Testing, batteries, and replacements of fire and carbon monoxide detectors. Install a fire-safe chain to turn the light in the crawl space on & off. (Sounds easy, but it's hard for me to reach up there safely.) Figure out what is causing the mildew smell in my kids' bathroom, and fix it. Many small touch-ups where the dog or the kids have created tough stains over the years. Light carpentry work to repair things like broken hinges etc. Replace our curbside mailbox. Source and assemble a package box that won't keep blowing over and breaking. (We need this outside of our dog's electric fence, meaning it's exposed to wind.) Figure out a way to get rid of plants that are toxic to our dog, without poisoning the dog. Figure out a way to stop the deer from eating the plants we do want. Train our dog for better obedience and tolerance of strangers. Figure out what to do about the rust on my 10yo car. Take all the vehicles in for body work and such. Catch up the accounting for our small nonprofit. Prepare tax returns for my sister and my parents. Some fun things for your little boy, such as building a fort or rock climbing wall or whatever sounds fun and safe to you. I could make a whole separate list for my parents' house, which help I would gladly pay for. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 Some things he really can't do without me there, like going through some things. But some of them he can. Adding some things to the list. I also just ordered a shed and before it gets here, DH and son will be building a base with gravel to prep for it and then once it gets here, he will help build and fill it with all the storage from the garage. Keep the ideas coming. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 I wish I could have a personal assistant to handle all the calls to doctors pharmacies and insurance companies. But I doubt anyone but me can handle that kind of thing 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Has he thought about signing up with a chain that does stuff for the elderly? Not all of it is skilled nursing—there is a lot of grocery shopping, hanging out, cleaning, etc. Home Instead is one chain. Another does moving/estate sale/downsizing stuff but specializes in this for elderly people. It’s called Caring Transitions. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 He could make a profile on the Rover app for pet sitting. People may be more likely to look there than Next Door when they specifically want a pet sitter, and it's getting late to book for this summer. My boys painted our basement one year. Dh penciled prices on each wall; they didn't have to do it all at once. Washing the walls in the house would be a big job. You'd have to teach him how, but it's supposed to be an amazing way to freshen your home (I've never done it 😉). Scanning your books might be cool. You scan the bar code and the app organizes them/inventories, iykwim. You used to have to generate a label, but now they just use the ISBN I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 21 hours ago, DawnM said: After he puts the mosquito treatment on our yard, if he feels he can do that easily, I am going to encourage him to advertise for treatments to yards for a set price. I think the experts charge $90-$100 per 1 acre treatment. He could do that for $50-$60 I am sure. The only issue is that he goes back to school in mid-Aug. so that may not work. Most people want treatment through September. He would likely need to be a licensed exterminator to do this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 On 5/27/2024 at 11:40 AM, DawnM said: Maybe, he already spends a lot of time with him, but doesn't want payment for it. Little guy will be at school 8-2:30 throughout the summer though, so that will be a help to us. What a sweet big brother! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinball Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 On 5/27/2024 at 9:10 AM, DawnM said: I wonder if he could paint the trim on our house? There are areas that are 3 stories tall, so I am a bit nervous about that, but, hmmmmm.... It is currently yellow. I am NOT a yellow person at all and I don't like it. I want a dark gray. Unless he has some experience handling a 32 ft ladder, no way would I let my child do this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 14 minutes ago, pinball said: Unless he has some experience handling a 32 ft ladder, no way would I let my child do this. I completely agree with pinball. I doubt he's had class 3 harness experience, and there's no reason someone should be up that high without being hooked in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 I would like my supposed-to-be-white, but-various-shades-of gray-and-brown baseboards cleaned. I would like all of my indoor white trim painted and my air vents cleaned. I would love to have my personal library catalogued and organized. Can you ds take on the grocery shopping? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookbard Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 I don't know if this would suit you, but for me - I would love someone to go through all my crap in the back shed and sell it on ebay. And in between, they could chop down all the privet that keeps sprouting everywhere. Last year I chopped enough down for an enormous bonfire, bigger than my car. It's all back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 On 5/27/2024 at 8:40 AM, DawnM said: On 5/27/2024 at 8:05 AM, Drama Llama said: Could he teach your little guy something? Maybe, he already spends a lot of time with him, but doesn't want payment for it. Little guy will be at school 8-2:30 throughout the summer though, so that will be a help to us. Maybe you could pay him to teach/practice something with his little brother. I would love a teenager or college person to come and practice baseball/sports with my son. He might be more open to payment if he has to actually prepare lessons and a whole thing with the hang out time, not just hang out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 Yesterday he: 1. Sprayed the yard for mosquitos 2. washed all the windows on the first floor, inside and out 3. wiped down all the kitchen cabinets 4. brought in more boxes and unpacked some of them 5. finished washing and detailing my car 6. gave the dog a bath 7. mowed the lawn We finally bought a shed on the Memorial Day holiday sale, it should get here next week. DH and son will build a base for the shed and then build the shed when it gets here. Then he will put ALL the storage stuff from the garage into the shed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toocrazy!! Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 He sounds like a great worker! And isn’t it amazing how much stuff can get done when the time is dedicated without all the interruptions! What a great opportunity. I’m glad you’re finding projects. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHP Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 (edited) On 5/27/2024 at 8:10 AM, DawnM said: I thought of that. Not sure I know anyone off hand, but I will keep thinking. I am not sure what you have near you but I would check with local community based organizations and asking if they have any senior programs. Here, I would be contacting a Catholic based organization that I know has a seniors club and a Catholic perish that serves a community of minorities, elderly, and disabled people. Once you find one elderly person you will find a lot of connections. When one of mine mowed lawns and did landscaping he did it for next to nothing and I supplemented. Edited May 29 by SHP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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