> How can a child help his/her parents in a stay @ home business?

You will probably find better information by following Gahalyn,s leads, but let me comment on a case that is close to home.

My daughter, who is a flight attendent, also runs a travel agency from her home. Her kids are seven and 10. They soon learned that when Mom is on the phone or the computer, as long as they are reasonably quiet, they can get away with almost anything. They also have learned not to answer the business phone. The answering machine takes care of that when their parents are not available.

The interesting thing is that they tend to screen their mother's calls on the family phone. I am not making this up. Even when we call we are likely to hear, "I'm sorry, she isn't available right now. Can I take a message?" Sometimes we have to call Mom's cell phone.

They have also learned to respect the business computer. They ask permission to use it for on-line research, and limit their games to an older computer that is not on line.

The agency has only been open for a short time, but I think they have adjusted very well. I have been able to observe this situation very closely because we are the sitters when Mom is flying. Like the kids, I have also learned not to answer the business phone, but my wife, a retired secretary, has not.

With parents in the travel industry, these kids think it is normal to take cruises every year and to fly across the country for an outing. At their age, my travel experiences were limited by how far I could walk.
Howard