My daughters literally grew up stuffing my Andy’s Patch newsletter. Year in and year out, they have offered to stuff envelopes for me and in exchange they’ve been paid quite well. From what I’ve learned this is not a unique arrangement. Children of Realtors (perhaps there’s a support group with that name, if not there should be) have always stuffed their parents’ envelopes.
Over the years what they’ve earned has added up. We have always encouraged saving and with one child half way through college and another leaving in the fall they aren’t leaving the nest without reserves. I’m very proud of them for having earned and saved. They also learned a lot about responsibility and deadlines as I’ve always tried to keep to a delivery schedule. They haven’t always been able to stuff on schedule, but I’ve been okay with that because this is my own business and I can be flexible. They’ve seen me set expectations, make adjustments and roll with the outcomes without drama. It occurs to me that my managerial style is more similar to my parenting style than I realized.
My own father’s parenting style was a little more Draconian. I’m one of five siblings, and four of us were very rowdy boys so I think my dad felt like he couldn’t give us much wiggle room. At one point as an adolescent, I honestly felt like he had kids just so we could work in the yard for him! I’m hoping my daughters don’t feel like I had them to stuff my newsletter envelopes.
Eventually my dad handed me the responsibility of making copies in his office for him. I remember that as being a big deal, and I know my daughters feel the same way about envelope stuffing. It has been a big deal, as my newsletter has been integral in my yearly business plans. Being part of that process, my daughters have been a key to my success. They also motivated me because I was never going to let failure to provide for them be an option.
My daughters have worked and are working other jobs too now. With my younger daughter going off to UC Davis in September their newsletter envelope stuffing cycles have just about run their course. My wife has a friend at work whose kid is interested in the soon to be available envelope stuffing position. Somebody has to stuff them, and I’ll be happy if the gig works out even half as well this time around as it worked for my kids.