By Janene Dutt 
If you’ve ever been met with eye rolls, grunts, and sighs after asking your kids to help out around the house, you’re not alone. I myself have often wondered if there were an easier way to get my kids to complete chores without complaint.
Well, in a display of creative parenting at its best, Shaketha Marion McGregor, a mother of three, has come up with a brilliant plan to do just that.
The Atlanta mom launched an in-home “hiring event” for her children, posting signs complete with job descriptions (Kitchen Manager, Lead Housekeeper, Laundry Supervisor), formal applications, and interview times.
McGregor shared photos of her signs on Facebook, along with the following message, which quickly went viral:
“So, my children continue to ask for a new cell phone, an allowance, and to go places. Yesterday I told them that I’ve heard their requests and that I’ll have a surprise for them today when they get home from school. SURPRISE!!! It’s a whole hiring event! If you want it, work for it, earn it!”
Thousands of parents responded to the post praising McGregor’s ingenuity.
McGregor’s children, Jahkeem, 13, Takeia, 10, and Serinity, 6, all interviewed for positions at “This Mom Means Business Inc.” with Jakheem and Serinity competing for the position of “Lead Housekeeper”. Six-year-old Serinity ultimately beat out her older brother with her professionalism during the interview process.
The McGregor kids appeared to have fun with it, with 10-year-old Takeia putting on a British accent for her interview and Jahkeem focusing on the financial angle—“How much do I get paid? How often do I get paid? And do I have to pay taxes?”—according to McGregor.
McGregor even heads a “Credit Union” where the kids can start off with a line of credit to “help build your allowance as well as character.”
No stranger to financial hardship herself, McGregor says, “You don’t have to wait until they’re 18 to learn about hiring, money management, and credit. It’s a great way to educate your children and have that quality family time together.”
With their new hire packets signed and in hand, the kids will soon reap the reward of their first paychecks.
And McGregor can reap the reward of a parenting win.
As for me, I may just borrow a page from McGregor’s book and get a little creative myself. I’m thinking the position of “Masseuse for Mom” will be opening up around here soon.
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