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Garage Sale!
Get the Kids Involved By Beth Hering
Decisions, DecisionsYou may have a list in your head of things your children could sell, but they may see things differently. That stuffed animal from when your daughter was 5 may seem like a good candidate, but she may not be ready to part with it. Pose questions that encourage reflection: Which toys do you feel are no longer fun? Which books are too easy for you to read? Not only will this help in making decisions, it will give thechild a positive sense of how much he or she has grown over the yearswithout feeling ashamed of not wanting to let go of something.
While some children are reluctant to part with anything, others may be too eager to get rid of everything in order to make money. Remind children that once they sell something, it is gone. Also, be honest about replacement. Your son may mistakenly think that if he sells his old video game system, you will buy him a better one. If he believes he will have money to burn from the sale, encourage him to price the new object of his desire to see how much of a difference exists between what he might earn and how much the new thing costs.
Geri Strandberg, a mother of two from Gilbert, Ariz., has this suggestion if your child is lamenting her lack of merchandise: Encourage her to sell lemonade, soda or cookies, too. Customers often are eager to buy such refreshments on hot summer days.
Paulette Braccio of Matteson, Ill., has another solution. "Let her gather up small items such as party bag goodies, fun fair prizes or fast food restaurant premiums, and put them into Ziploc bags. A bag of five items can usually command about 25 cents, and it does wonders for clearing up playroom clutter."
Likewise, preteens can serve as garage sale managers. To do this, encourage children to think about stores they have visited. How are items organized? What grabs a buyer's attention? Is there enough room for people to browse? Is the merchandise in good condition? Then, support acting on those conclusions. This might lead to grouping all the Barbie items together, moving tables farther apart or washing off some old toy cars to make them look more attractive.
