Money and Work Tips
Read these 9 Money and Work Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Kids Online tips and hundreds of other topics.
Learn to be a Babysitter
The internet has many good sources for learning how to babysit. Look over the sites carefully and talk to your parents about them. Remember that not all information on the internet is good. These sites have useful information for learning to take care of children:
Babysitting This is a bi-monthly column by an experienced teen sitter. Learn to solve common babysitting challenges like getting the child to sleep and surviving your first job.
National Babysitter's Network This site is run by a mom who knows a lot about children. You can find answers to your questions and talk to other sitters as well.
Start a Writing Club
It's easier to become a writer if you are working with friends. Find a group of kids who like to write and who are nice. Meet together every week to talk about good books and to help each other out. Read your stories to them and ask for suggestions. Be ready to handle suggestions nicely. When it's your turn to make suggestions, say something nice and make sure your comments won't hurt anyone's feelings.
Make Your Own Pop-Up Books
Do you love to read books with a little action? Not word action, but actual book action! Pop-up books are fun because something interesting happens with every turn of the page. You can learn to make your own by visiting these links:
Joan Irvin Joan Irvin is known as the Pop-up Lady. She has written several books on making your own pop-up books, and on her web site, she helps you get started.
Oregon Trail Pop-ups Check out animations of these pop-up books made by children.
Polish Your Work
Don't send out a story to be published unless you are sure it is the very best work you can do. Ask someone to check your spelling and grammar. Make sure you follow every rule for submitting your work. You want to make a good impression on the editor. Even if your story is good, it can be rejected if it has lots of mistakes in it. Even if it's rejected, you want the editor to remember that you are very professional...next time you might get accepted.
Rejection is Okay
If you decide you are ready to become a published writer, be ready to get rejection letters. Rejection leters are letters that say a publication doesn't want your story. It doesn't mean you are a bad writer. Every writer gets these, and we get a lot of them before we get published. When you get a rejection letter, just send your story to another magazine. You might want to look it over first. Sometimes when you haven't seen it for a while, you realize something can be changed. The most important thing, though is to try again. Send that story out again and write a new one, too. When you have lots of stories out all at once, you'll get more rejection letters, but you'll also have a better chance of getting accepted.
Become a Published Writer
There are places for children to be published, and many of them are on the internet. Some pay and some do not, but even if you don't get paid, you are building a publication history, which is very important. First, make sure your writing skills are very good. Never submit a story that is not perfect. Check the spelling and grammar. Be sure you don't get your feelings hurt easily. Everyone gets rejected. This is part of being a writer. It might take many years to get published, but you will continue to learn and get better. Check out my links to find good places to submit your writing. Most importantly, don't become a writer to become rich or famous. Do it to have fun. It is fun!
The Stock Market
Some kids put their money to work in the stock market. This means you give money to companies to help their companies grow. If the stock becomes more valuable, you make money. However, you could also lose your money, so think carefully about whether or not this is right for you. You will need a parent to help you invest. These sites can help you learn what you need to know.
ThinkQuest Stock Game Play the stock market with pretend money while you learn how it works.
EdustockLearn how the stock market works and learn about real companies you can invest in. This site is not just for kids, so be safe and surf with an adult.
Allowances
Some kids get their allowances no matter what. Other kids have to earn their allowances. An allowance can be a good way to help you learn to manage money before you grow up. It's important to learn all you can about using your allowance well, so visit these sites for help:
Learn to Earn This site tells you how to earn your allowance through household chores. Your parents will probably like this one too!
StateFarm.com If you are trying to save up for something, you might want to think about putting some of your allowance in a bank. This site will help you figure out how long it will take to save up for your dream purchase.
If You Want to Write...Read!
If you want to be a good writer, you have to read and read and read. Notice what kinds of stories kids are reading today. Find out what's good or bad about the stories you read. Find out what has already been done-your story needs to be original.
When you read a book, the first time just read it for fun. Then stop and think about the book. What did you like about it or dislike about it? How does the book make you feel?
Then go back and read it again carefully. Figure out what you can learn from this book. How does the author make you feel what he wants you to feel? How does he pace the book-how does he make it not go too fast or too slow? How does he tell you what the people in the story are like? Why do you think he chose the ending he chose?
Use what you learn when you write your own book.
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| Lynda Moultry |
