More and more kids and parents are asking how kids can make money. With the economy in trouble many parents are cutting back on the money they spend on extras for their kids. For the ambitious and determined child, there are ways they can work for what they want. As a child, under 16 years old, I babysat and gave piano lessons to pay for makeup, books, jewelry and other things I wanted. My younger brother had a paper route and mowed lawns to earn the money for a new bike.

Today there are many different ways to make money for the child who is willing to work. Besides the obvious babysitting, paper route and lawn mowing, there are a lot of ways a determined kid can make money. Any child with ambition, honesty, dependability and the ability to see a job through to the end will soon find himself or herself in demand.

With a little thought and knowledge of your neighborhood you can come up with some of your own ideas for how kids can make money. Here are just a few suggestions for jobs for kids:

1. Parents’ Helper – Too young to really babysit? How about approaching a busy mother with several young children about keeping the children entertained while she’s busy doing other things?

2. House cleaning – Many people are just too busy to keep their house as clean as they would like, but cannot really afford a professional housekeeping service. A child who can vacuum, dust, and mop a floor and clean the toilets could earn some very good money.

3. Lemonade Stand – Selling lemonade, cold sodas in the summer and hot cocoa and cider in the winter can be one way to make money. However, be aware that some cities have regulations about such enterprises; check first.

4. Car Washing – Kids ask your parents to teach you how to wash a car, then go around your neighborhood and offer to wash your busy neighbors’ vehicles. This is something that a couple of children can do together as a way to earn money.

5. Dog Walking – If you live in an apartment building and have neighbors who own dogs, offer to walk their dogs for a fee. For many people this will be a real blessing that they will happily pay for. Don’t forget to take "poo bags" and clean up after the dog.

6. Poo Patrol – If you live in a neighborhood where people have fenced yards where their dogs are allowed to roam and do their business, offer to clean up the "poo". Take a bucket, lined with a bag and a garden trowel. Walk the yard thoroughly, picking up every bit of poo.

7. Vacation Helper – Make up a flyer listing all the different types of services you could provide as a "vacation helper". Then pass this flyer out to your neighbors so that when they go away they know who to call to water their garden, walk the dog, bring in the mail, and just otherwise take care of their house.

8. Snow Shoveling – Either with a shovel or a snow blower a kid who lives in snow-prone areas can make some good money clearing driveways and sidewalks.

9. Garden Helper – In the spring, offer to help your neighbors who plant gardens by raking, working the soil, planting, pulling weeds, mulching, watering etc.

10. Yard Sale – Go through your things and decide if you have stuff that you no longer use or want that could be sold.

11. Yard Sale Helper – Offer to help arrange, set up and monitor your neighbor’s yard and garage sales.

12. Garage Organizer – Offer to help clean up and arrange garages. Not only will your neighbors be thrilled with their neat garages, but you’ll earn a bit of money. Additionally, there are almost always things that get thrown away that you might be able to take home and sell in your own garage sale.

Parents make sure that your kids follow a few simple safety guidelines:

1. Always let you know where they are

2. Never go door to door alone (you must be willing to go with them if there’s not a sibling or friend to go with them)

3. Provide a card with your name and phone number for them to hand out to prospective clients.

4. Make sure they understand about reliability and responsibility and are committed to finishing the work they agree to do. Also advise them about displaying a good attitude. Remind them that their clients are doing them a favor by hiring them, thus they should have an attitude that says "I’m happy to be here, doing this work".

5. Make sure they understand that these jobs can only be done after their schoolwork and chores are done.

6. Advise them to keep the prices affordable.

7. Make sure they know they can ask you for advice anytime.

These are just a few suggestions for how kids can make money. Look over your neighborhood. Think about the types of things that people have to do just to maintain their house that take up time and could easily be done by someone else. Those are the types of things that many people will gladly pay your child to do.