Do people pay kids to do lawn work anymore?

[TheHobbyist]

Hello friends,

I live in a small town. I have been thinking about re-doing some of the landscape next year and would hire a contractor for that. I am wondering if I should post a flyer at our small town local grocery store saying that if a student (or anyone) has interest in general lawn maintenance, I will pay them however much an hour, maybe $ 10 or $ 12 something along those lines.

My question is if this is even done now in this day and age. When I was a kid, my dad pushed me out of the house and said I need to learn the value of a dollar. It was meant in a good way and I did not take this negatively at all. He told me to go door to door in our neighborhood and ask if anyone needed their grass cut and for a small city property is was $ 20.00 or $ 25.00 if a larger place.

No, I am not trying to save money on lawn care. I would supply the mower and tools and for the larger areas use my zero turn John Deere. Just thought it would be a nice gesture to help someone out and learn the value of work like I did.

In this current day and age, is this a thing of the past?

Should I only offer it to my college or high school nieces and nephews?

Just curious on your thoughts.

By the way, there was an elderly man in our neighborhood as a kid. We talked about price and he said go ahead. This was many years ago, but I'll never forget he paid me with a basketball. Haha.

 

[Watchdog]

Hello friends,

I live in a small town. I have been thinking about re-doing some of the landscape next year and would hire a contractor for that. I am wondering if I should post a flyer at our small town local grocery store saying that if a student (or anyone) has interest in general lawn maintenance, I will pay them however much an hour, maybe $ 10 or $ 12 something along those lines.

My question is if this is even done now in this day and age. When I was a kid, my dad pushed me out of the house and said I need to learn the value of a dollar. It was meant in a good way and I did not take this negatively at all. He told me to go door to door in our neighborhood and ask if anyone needed their grass cut and for a small city property is was $ 20.00 or $ 25.00 if a larger place.

In this current day and age, is this a thing of the past?

If you were an enterprising boy back in the fifties, grass cutting time would find you pushing/pulling your mower up and down several streets in your neighborhood, asking folks if they needed their grass cut. I wanted money for model airplanes and toy soldiers and paperback books.

Remember when mowers didn't have engines? One of those was the first mower I used.

Thing is, every other enterprising boy had the same idea. It was as competitive back then as it is now with the myriad "landscape" companies we see on a daily basis. If I told Mr. Livingston I'd cut his grass for $1.50 this week, here'd come Melvin next week telling him he'd do it for $1.25! It got worse when folks started buying power mowers. Kids had to raise rates then so we could buy gas and a container to keep it in. I saved money on containers, though, by using Coke bottles with a cap made from wax paper.

Anyway, I don't see many kids/young people doing that sort of thing now. Even the one- and two-man operations usually have a well-established client base.

If you can get relatives to do it, more power to you. Probably not too may young people interested.

 

[brjr51]

So many people have a lawn service around my semi-rural area that I'd be surprised if any kids are doing it. A few years ago when the economy was slumping, one of the nurses at work husband was laid off. They had to give up their weekly service. I remember her lamenting about having to get a cheap mower and doing it themselves. Her two sons were in their mid-teens and she told me neither had ever dealt with a lawnmower and were concerned if they could do it.
I used to get $1.50-$2.00 to do about a 1/3rd to 1/2 acre lot in a neighborhood. I remember getting enough from a yard to buy one of the model car kits that I was addicted to at the time, they were usuallly about $2.00.

 

[Joed49]

I paid the neighbors 15 year old son to mow my lawn last year. I paid the kid $15 every time he mowed the lawn. He did a terrible job because all he wanted to do was hurry and get it done. Took me 30 minutes, he did it in 10 and missed more places then I liked.

He would always be at my door asking for money before even doing the work. The final straw was in the fall when he told me he'd be there and never showed in the last 5 days of good weather.

Kids don't want to work today.

 

[andy52]

I think today it's not that the kids wouldn't do the work but's more about the liability of having them do it. Most lawn services are bonded and insured which relieves the homeowner of the risk. Back when I was young no one would have sued a homeowner over a kid getting hurt when mowing a lawn.....Ain't that way today.

 

[PeterJ]

I would have to say,,, go with a lawn service company. The job will probably get done when it needs it with a higher quality job at a reasonable price. A few years ago I had our grandsons take care of the place while we were gone. It only cost the price of their labor and the $500 for the hood on the John Deere tractor that they ran into a tree. The grandson who did the damage actually paid the $600 for the hood and decals but I couldn't let a 15 year old kid take that kind of a hit for an accident and rebated him $500. Call the lawn care company.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Boys, I don't feel old at all, but I think my outlook is. You all are right and I appreciate the comments. It is just different now, I guess. Back then, I tried to work as many yards as I could so I could buy the bike I wanted, clothes, shoes and so forth. Heck, I am not old but it is a lot different now. I never would even think to sue old man whats his name cuz I tripped in his lawn. Guess I will just use contractors.

 

[Grayfox]

Grass cutting is big business these days. I don't know just how or why it came about, but very few people do their own lawn anymore. On my whole street I think there may be only 5 or 6 of us who still cut our own grass.
One guy I used to know at work had a full scale lawn service on the side. He actually made more money cutting grass than he did working for the city. He only stayed with us for the insurance and retirement.
Another co-worker retired at 55. He lives on a small farm and already had the equipment, so he started bush hogging for extra money. Does good at it too.
As far as kids go, most aren't interested. And as Andy52 pointed out, their are liability issues to consider.

 

[Golddollar]

Grass cutting is big business these days. I don't know just how or why it came about, but very few people do their own lawn anymore. On my whole street I think there may be only 5 or 6 of us who still cut our own grass.

I'd cut my own grass but my medical issues make it dicey for me. I suspect with the aging of the baby boomers that is probably an issue for a lot of us.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

Down here all you see is lawn service trucks . If you see a kid mowing , his mom or dad pried him away from his phone or x box . When I was a kid , we didn't have a/c or ceiling fans , just those old box fans , and we lived outside . Kids now a days are like "It's too hot ." No , only the guys with big money trucks and trailers with all sorts of lawn mowers and tools these days .

 

[WardenRoss]

A friend's grandson is always looking for work and he is fifteen.

I hired him to clean our yard after a storm. I was working 60 hour weeks back then. He charged forty-dollars and did a heck of a good job

I gave him a $25 tip it was so good. The neighbors saw him and have started to hire him also. Good kid.

I have a feeling he will be successful at whatever he does.

Does my heart good to see a kid wanting to work.

 

[billwill]

Heck, I can't even get my own kid to cut my lawn or blow leaves without me reminding him of the 'assistance' he received over the years...geez kids in their 30's

 

[Drm50]

I built my house in 75, I have never mowed my grass. This is a
little farm town and kids were cutting each other's throats to get customers. That has changed since and a guy that is a little slow
cuts mine. $20 and I have a big yard. We tip him, feed him and
bought a new mower when his went belly up. When he quits I don't know if I can find another grass cutter.

 

[4barrel]

How does a kid with a phone glued to his ear find time to mow a yard? I see a lot of mothers doing it on riding mowers.

 

[Salty RI]

I saw a kid last summer cutting a lawn, he was having a hard time pushing the mower, when I got close to him, I stopped him I said see that lever on the handle, push it forward, he did and the mower took off, he said this is much better, he was a hard worker but didnt have much between the ears. [emoji1]

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

 

[PDX1953]

A couple of my grand-nephews (ages 12 & 16) are usually happy to cut the lawn. There isn't a lot of it but they & their siblings are being raised to work hard & they do. I have a physical disability that affects my balance & the 16 year old helped me for about 5 hours one day. I gave him $40 & he said it was too much & tried to give me back $20 but I made him keep it.

Even my 8 y.o. grand-niece is always ready to pitch in.

 

[sar4937]

My lawyer ended that for me.

 

[Joed49]

One of the people I worked for had an enterprising son. He started his own lawn company at 16 years old. 20 years later and he's still in business.

 

[Joed49]

I now have a person that is retired take care of the lawn. No problems with him, comes once a week and does good work.

Most of the kids have no work ethics.

 

[Ματθιας]

With today's kids, I wouldn't let them on my property, much less trust them with a lawn mower.

Besides, if I tell them what to do, I might hurt their feelings and I don't have a safe space for them to cry.