Raising multiple kids can indeed bring a whirlwind of activity into your life. Yet, it remains our duty as parents to impart crucial life lessons to them during the time they are with us. Some significant ones include responsibility, teamwork, money-making, saving, financial independence, compassion, and occasionally doing things you might not enjoy. Our experience with Rover provided these and many more valuable teachings. If you’re wondering what Rover is and how it can help instill these important lessons in your children, keep reading!
WHAT IS ROVER?
It was my ten-year-old daughter who first made me aware of Rover. While attending a financial conference for FinCon—a major group I belong to—she emailed me about it. I suggested we discuss the matter once I returned. As soon as I arrived home, she was armed with extensive research about Rover, ready to convince me of its merits. I’ve always encouraged this approach, as it teaches negotiation and problem-solving aptitudes from an early age, and it certainly paid off in this instance.
HOW IT WORKS
She explained that Rover operates via a thorough profile creation process on their app. Alongside numerous pictures of your property, users are required to submit at least three photographs with dogs (a challenging task for someone like me who prefers not to be in the animal pictures), and undergo a full background check. Once approved, it’s just about choosing your services, outlining your available days, and being proactive in dealing with owners’ inquiries. Rover takes a 20% service fee and allows you to cash out your earnings to PayPal at any time. It might seem like an involved setup process requiring ample time, but the whole journey has been worthwhile for us.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Within 24 hours of profile approval, requests for dog boarding began pouring in. Although we offer a variety of services—boarding, drop-in visits, doggy daycare, and dog walking, the demand for overnight stays at our home has massively outweighed the rest. It’s been an exhilarating venture since we started in November. On some nights, we find ourselves accommodating up to five dogs, which can be an adventure!
THE TEACHINGS
Despite being initially unsure about managing this along with our five children and unpredictable work hours, the process has unfolded smoothly. Our kids are thrilled with the dogs’ temporary stays, given we don’t own one ourselves. We didn’t desire the additional responsibility, but through Rover, the children have learned a lot about teamwork and compassion. Taking care of dogs has made them more considerate towards animals, especially for those that require extra attention. They’ve learned to handle unglamorous chores like cleaning up dog messes, understanding that not all aspects of a job are enjoyable, but necessary nonetheless.
MONETARY BENEFITS
Rover has also presented the opportunity to educate our children about money. Because I register Rover under my business, I can legally pay my kids for any Rover-related task, whether it’s looking after dogs or cleaning up afterwards. This allows them to grasp the connection between work and earnings.
FURTHER FINANCIAL TEACHINGS
Because of their earnings, my two biological children now qualify for a Roth IRA for Minors, meaning they are exempt from Social Security or Medicare taxes. With an average annual return of 10%, this sets them up for strong financial futures, as they are currently only 10 and 13 years old. They’ve developed such a keen interest in finance that they are now competing to see who can accumulate a million dollars first—a parenting coup in my eyes!
So, have you tried Rover yet? If not, what techniques do you implement to teach your little ones about life and money?
