Okay, this one’s too cute.  John walked in from work this afternoon holding two teeny paper cups.  And I mean teeny.  The ones really young kids use after they’ve brushed their teeth.  The ones that hold maybe two ounces of liquid.  He held them up to me and said, “I stopped for orange juice.”

We are big believers in kids getting a chance to exercise their entrepreneurial spirits.  And it usually starts with the infamous lemonade stand, or in this case, orange juice stand.  I’ve seen kids who I would never consider the lemonade stand type out on the corner selling their brew.    

I really feel that kids are born with a desire, and the gift, to do something constructive that can earn them a little extra money while having fun.  Somehow, slowly over time this desire disappears. 

Kids are optimists.  Because of this they tend to think they can conquer the world.  That’s not a bad thing.  But often, parents need to bring kids back to reality.  I’m not sure how to help you build a teleporter is one time I remember having to do a reality check on Nathan.  How do you explain to a first grader that having voices travel over the airwaves is a little different than having a person travel through space and time.

But because kids are optimists I also think we need to take the time to help them think through some of their ideas.  Maybe if we do that, kids won’t slowly give up that entrepreneurial spirit they seem to be born with.  Not all their ideas will come to fruition, but you may find that you’re pleasantly surprised.  Like I was when Ryan decided to start a soda-making business.

So the next time you see kids having a lemonade/orange juice stand… stop.  And when their little hands submerge the teeny cup into the pitcher then hand you a sticky, dripy cup…smile.  That quarter you just handed over could be the beginning of a huge empire.  Maybe one that will one day teleport you to your next business meeting.