Child labor

Have I mentioned that E, at almost 10, has a job?

He works as a mother's helper for a family down the street. They have a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy. The mom or nanny is always home when E goes over there, but he keeps the kids entertained for hours at a time, I'm told. The boy is a superhero nut, a stage E never went through, but somewhere along the line my guy has developed the patience to let a three-year-old push him down and chase him around for long periods of time.

Mind you, E never really exhibited said patience with his younger brother. I guess a dollar an hour is motivation enough for him.

I was a little worried that this holiday break was going to be too quiet, not enough going on. Looks like E will be saving up a small fortune. He says he's packing it away for a trip to the baseball card store. I love the idea that he's earning his own money and taking responsbility for being on time, planning his schedule, etc. He feels extremely grown up. And I guess he's getting there.