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When Life Gives You Bad Lemons

Your children want to set up a lemonade stand. You think it’s a great idea because it can teach them many life and money skills (link to first post). But sometimes, it may not go as smoothly as you thought. Here’s a few hurdles your kids may encounter and how to help your kids through it:

Competition. Turns out there is another lemonade stand down the block. What are the chances that people will stop at both? Brainstorm ideas with the kids. Maybe they can give a “buy one, get one 50% off” deal. Or start offering cookies with the lemonade. Or decorate their stand so it stands out. They could also consider partnering or coordinating with the other children.

Bad Weather. The day started off with sunshine and clear skies, but unexpectedly takes a turn for the worst with afternoon showers. Is it bad enough so there won’t be people outside? If yes, then it’s time to call it a day. If it’s not bad or it’s expected to stop soon, they can set up under a tent or take a break for a while.

Boredom. Many kids have short attention spans and want instant gratification. If they aren’t getting a lot of visitors to their stand, they may just lose interest in it. It can help to have some of their friends join them or get family members to keep them occupied during down times. Also use it as an opportunity to encourage your kids to be patient; to learn that it takes time to get business and make money.

Few Sales. It can be tough on children if they aren’t getting many people coming to their stand or if passersby don’t want to buy anything. Learning how to handle disappointment and rejection is a necessary life skill but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to watch your children face that reality. You should try to prepare them ahead of time for that possibility and encourage them to try again another time. Discuss what they could do differently – change location, day or time; better “marketing;” lower price; selling other items; etc.

A lemonade stand should be fun for kids but it’s okay if things don’t go perfectly. That’s part of the lessons learned.

Don’t forget to share a photo of your children’s lemonade stand and be sure to tag us!