Column: How to keep your children busy this summer

The kids are delighted, the parents?

Well, perhaps less so as they wonder how to fill the coming weeks.

If your child is of secondary school age this could be the moment to throw them a summer challenge that will help grow their confidence, business acumen, and creative thinking.

Interest in entrepreneurship is growing amongst young people as they witness the rise of young tech innovators, the growth of influencer culture, and social media success stories.

Many teens are keen to explore new ventures, so this summer holiday could be a perfect time to encourage your budding entrepreneur to set up a small side hustle that will keep them busy earning money, developing skills, and learning how to start a small business and keep it going.

For most this will be following up on simple pocket money enhancing ideas such as homemade crafts and baking, and neighbourhood services like pet help and car washing.

But for older children this could include offers to extended friends and family of digital support to get more tech savvy, or helping small local businesses with their social media.

Encourage them to think about their hobbies and interests, and how they could monetise them.

However small the idea is, it will help your child to think about marketing, customer service and the hands-on experience of budgeting and keeping a business going.

They will have to develop a good reliable work ethic, time management, and an understanding of effort versus reward.

All of these will teach some essential life lessons, helping develop self-esteem and independence, and a sense of empowerment.

Young minds are innovative, fast-paced and high energy, what better then to tap into their resourcefulness and encourage a summer of entrepreneurial exploration?