Where Have All the Paper Routes Gone? Jobs for Kids These Days
The 12-year-old's hustle: what jobs even exist for kids these days?
Job #1
When I was in elementary school, I started working. I didn’t even live in Florida. Crazy.
My coveted job was the afternoon neighborhood paper route.
Every Monday through Friday, I delivered the Deseret News after school, covering my street and a handful around it.
I had my routine:
Sit on the front porch steps.
Use the rubber bands from the drawer.
Open the stacks of newspapers by peeling apart the polypropylene strapping.
Fold the newspapers into tight, compact throws.
My brothers had their own routes, delivering the Salt Lake Tribune in the mornings. A family full of gig workers. This meant one thing:
We had an entire drawer dedicated to rubber bands.
Anyone else?
This long, narrow drawer, in the built-in cabinet in the laundry room, we called the “back porch,” was crammed full of hundreds of elastics. Every day, I’d open the drawer and grab a few fistfuls.
Regular news day: Fold newspaper in half, band it, toss to the side.
Rain day: Fold and bag.
Big news day: Fold in thirds to fit it all.
Sunday and Christmas: Wrestle it in half and pray the elastic doesn’t snap.
Then I’d head out with my bike, attaching the newspaper bag to both handlebars, carefully balancing the weight between sides. I learned the painful way what happened when the bag leaned too heavily to one side.
I started my route in 4th grade. I deposited my paycheck at First Security Bank. I remember the account number for that savings account had a lot of ones in it.
Then I went out to get my bike. I grabbed the newspaper bag and wrapped the straps around my handlebars several times. Then I filled it with the papers, carefully balancing the weight by dispersing them between both sides.
Job #2
In 5th grade, I added another career path to my résumé: soccer referee.
My first gig was reffing the littlest kids at a field in the Avenues. I worked alongside another Lauren—Lauren Creer—and together, we officiated little five-year-olds. We explained how goal kicks worked. We held their feet down when they did a throw-in. We reminded parents to let them play.
Our dads dropped us off for the 8:00 a.m. game and picked us up after noon. Once, one of us had to use the bathroom. We knocked at the nearest house. The woman who answered refused to let us inside. We found “facilities” behind the field.
On another occasion, when our parents didn’t show up as scheduled, we had to ask her again—this time to borrow her cordless phone. She watched us dial with a stare that said, Don’t touch anything.
Job #3
At 12, I started babysitting. One house had a TV I couldn’t figure out. After the kids went to bed, I sat on the couch staring at the black screen. The parents came home very late. It was a long, silent evening.
By high school, I had a pretty regular weekend gig next door. It was with the best family. Babysitting gave me gas money—and more importantly, an excuse to not dwell on my social anxiety or lack of social plans.
So what about today’s kids?
That brings me to my question:
What jobs are out there now for my kids?
The paper route is long gone. The lawn-mowing economy is oversaturated in our neighborhood. Babysitting?
💼 Job ideas for a 12-year-old
Babysitting – Still a classic. Will moms hire my son, though? I hired young men and women, but I know I’m not typical. (See mention above of having very few high school weekend plans.)
Refereeing (If Available) – Leagues don’t hire for the youngest kids anymore; they use the parent coaches, who are volunteers. So, when can kids start this? And is it worth it with today’s parents?
Pet Sitting & Dog Walking – Perfect for weekends or after school. Do you have your kid make a flyer and take it around?
Yard Work & Snow Removal – Weeding, raking, shoveling—who wants to do this themselves, no?
Creating a YouTube Channel or Podcast –
Tech Reviews for Kids – Reviewing gadgets, books, or video games from a 12-year-old’s perspective.
Lego Builds & Stop Motion – If he’s into Legos, these videos can do really well.
A Podcast on Kid-Friendly Topics – His interests + storytelling = something unique.
Minecraft or Roblox Tutorials – Popular and searchable!
Reselling (Flipping Items Online) – Shop at the ol’ DI and try to flip them. This requires a lot of parent involvement, though.
3D Printing Business – My son has a printer, but what’s the first step in starting?
Washing Cars & Bikes – A neighborhood classic that still works.
Helping Older Adults with Tech – Setting up phones, organizing photos, helping with email, or basic tech support for older neighbors. Yes?
Camps & Summer Programs – Do local programs hire kids 12+ as junior camp counselors or helpers?
🧃Job Ideas for a 9-Year-Old
Lemonade Stand 2.0 – Instead of just lemonade, sell baked goods or something unique like handmade bracelets.
Handmade Crafts for Etsy or Local Sales – Friendship bracelets, bookmarks, beadwork, or simple art prints.
Dog Walking or Pet Care – A 9-year-old can still be a good helper for feeding pets, playing with them, or even helping an older sibling with dog walking.
Helping Neighbors with Simple Tasks – Bringing in mail, watering plants, or taking out trash bins for neighbors.
Simple 3D Printing Sales – Help with an older sibling’s 3D printing hustle.
Acting or Voice Work – There are online platforms for kid voice actors (with parental oversight). I mean, I dunno…
Mini Gardening Business – Growing small plants or herbs and selling them in little pots. Because this would be adorable.
Final thoughts
I miss the simplicity of the paper route. I have a vivid memory of that drawer full of rubber bands. It feels to me like kids have lost out on opportunities like that.
But, they have new possibilities, some analog, some digital. It’s just that my experience is with getting black hands from folding papers.
"Did you have a childhood job? What are the best opportunities for kids today? Let’s swap ideas!"