Two kids knocked on my door and offered to rake my whole yard for $10. What I did next changed how they’ll see hard work forever.
I heard the doorbell on a Saturday afternoon. Two boys, maybe 11 or 12 years old, were on my porch holding rakes that looked too big for them.
The taller one nervously asked, “Excuse me, sir. Would you like us to rake your yard? We’ll do the whole thing for ten dollars.“
I looked at my lawn. It was covered in leaves. It was a big job, at least two or three hours of work.
“Ten dollars each?“ I asked.
They looked at each other. The shorter one shook his head. “No sir. Ten dollars total. We’ll split it.“
Five dollars each. For hours of hard work.
I could have said yes and gotten my yard raked for almost nothing. But the way they stood there—hopeful, polite, and ready to work—reminded me of myself at that age, just trying to get a chance.
“Alright,“ I said. “You’ve got a deal. Get started.“
For the next two and a half hours, I watched them. They worked hard and didn’t cut corners. They didn’t complain. They raked every part of the yard, bagged the leaves, and even swept my driveway without me asking.
When they finally knocked to say they were done, they were sweating, tired, and smiling.
I walked out with my wallet. “You boys did incredible work,“ I said, and I handed them four twenty-dollar bills ($80).
“Here’s your payment.“
The taller one’s eyes got wide. “Sir, we said ten—“
“I know what you said,“ I told him. “But I also know what hours of good work are worth. You earned every dollar of this.“
They stared at the money like they couldn’t believe it was real. Then the shorter one looked up at me and said quietly, “Thank you. Really. Thank you.“
As they walked away, I heard them talking excitedly about what they would buy. I realized something: We talk a lot about teaching kids the value of hard work, but we don’t always show them that hard work is actually valued.
Those boys didn’t ask for a handout. They offered to work. They showed up. They did a great job. I wanted them to walk away knowing that good work doesn’t go unnoticed.
If you work hard and do your best, even when no one is watching, good people will see it. And they will reward you for it.
That’s not just a lesson for kids. That’s a lesson for all of us.