A lot of parents plan on their kids taking over their business. 𝐌𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 (proud parent moment here) and is employed one day a week in my office for work experience. However, I’ve clarified to her that once she completes her degree, she will need to seek full-time employment elsewhere.

I don’t want her to feel stuck living my life, I want her to choose her direction based on her own experiences. I want her to learn to face challenges and grow independently. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭.

Too often, I’ve seen clients hire their children into their business, and these kids have no accountability. They get away with things other employees never would, taking leave whenever they want, showing minimal effort, and delivering uninspiring performance (if any at all).

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. One brave client I worked with made the tough decision to let their child go, and it was the best outcome for both the parent and the child.

Parents who aren’t tough enough on their kids often find themselves stuck working in the business long after they should have retired. Their kids rely on the business for a paycheck, and their lifestyle depends on it. These parents never took the time to hold their children accountable or properly prepare them to take over the business.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞. They must perform, be held accountable, and meet clear expectations. Without these boundaries, it won’t work, for your business or them.