Loan Out Your Teen to Friends In Need

Do you have friends who are empty nesters? Maybe they can't get around like they used to. Why not loan out your teen to friends in need?

There are a lot of things that teenagers can do to help neighbors. They could:

* Mow the lawn in the summer – Elderly neighbors or single mothers may not be able to get out and mow their lawn as often as it needs it. A teenager could do this task whether the neighbor has a push or riding lawn mower. If they’ve been trained, they could also help with edging and trimming bushes.

* Gardening – If neighbors have a garden, you could loan out your teen to help friends and neighbors till, plant, weed, and harvest their garden. They may learn enough to help you plant your own garden the next growing season.

* Shovel snow in the winter – In the winter people aren’t so concerned about their lawns, but they are interested in keeping their driveway and sidewalks free of snow. This is another activity that older friends and neighbors may have problems completing. Single mothers, unless they have older children of their own, would also appreciate any teen providing the muscle for this job.

* Help decorate for the holidays – Did you notice a neighbor that didn’t decorate for the holidays last year? Is it because they didn’t want to or because they couldn’t? Quite often older neighbors aren’t interested in celebrating because they’ve lost a loved one or their children don’t live nearby. Your teen could offer to decorate, even if only minimally, and then invite your neighbor to spend part of the holidays with you and your family.

* Care for pets if their neighbor has to be away from home – If your teen loves animals, they may want to help care for a neighbor’s pets while they’re away. They may also be willing to go over and take their dog for a walk every day to let it get exercise.

* Baby-sit – Of course, any working parents would be glad for an opportunity to go out without their children. Baby-sitting is generally thought of as a teenage girl’s job, but if your teenage son likes children, why shouldn’t he be able to baby-sit? Most new mothers would jump at the chance to have someone come keep an eye on a newborn while Mom takes a much-needed shower and nap.

* Offer to do housework for a new mother – Speaking of baby-sitting; are there any new mothers in your neighborhood? Any new mother would love it if your teenager came over to help with the housework. They would probably appreciate your teen’s help with cooking, as well.

Senior adult neighbors aren’t the only ones that need help, although that’s who most people think of when offering to help. Single mothers with small children and new mothers would also love to be the benefit of your teen’s efforts, should you decide to loan out your teen.