Eight-year-old Lee McCausland had a business plan this summer.
Lee told his mom Miranda that he wanted to have a lemonade stand. She said sure, as long as he was willing to put in the time, effort and dedication to do it.
“He was begging us to have a lemonade stand for months and months and months. We kept putting him off until it was warm enough," his mom said.
“Eventually I told him he had to build a stand because I wanted him to be serious about it,” she said.
So Lee and his best buddy, six-year-old Galen Crozier, took the task to heart. Using hand tools and reclaimed wood to build the stand.
They also made the signs, sewed stuffed creatures and wristbands to sell, made ice cream, stirred the lemonade and even brought in sub-contractors in the form of Lee’s sisters Lily, 12, and Charlie, 6.
Charlie mostly eats the ice cream, another product they sell.
“Lemonade is mostly the biggest seller,” says McCausland, who says the best part is “sewing stuff and making stuff.”
“Sometimes people buy and sometimes they don’t. But mostly they just come up and tell us we’re doing a really good job.”
Mom runs The Kindermarche Pop-Up Children’s Market. It has its own Facebook page, where information about the next market is posted.
“I thought it would be one-sale-and-over, but they’ve seen a fair bit of success and haven’t quit yet, so we’ll keep at it.”
So far the kids have done four, two at the McCausland home on Westmount Road and one at the Two Rivers Festival.
This week’s market sold out of a new item, sequined pillows that Galen had made.
“They both know how to use sewing machines and are learning to build other crafts,’ Miranda said.
“I told Lee he has to divide his share equally: One-third of the money to buy supplies, one-third goes into his bank account one-third he gets to spend,” Miranda said. So far Liam has banked about $300.
She hopes to have a big children’s bake sale and market at the end of the summer where other children can get involved.
Miranda, an early childhood educator, said the benefits go well beyond pocket money and keeping the kids busy.
“It definitely teaches about things like follow through, emotional regulation, discipline … even just counting out the money is basic math skills,” Miranda said.
