Prepare children for success. Even when our children have worked for us, we have "interviewed" them to become familiar with the process.

Before the interview, I role-played with my son appropriate etiquette ("They prefer you to look them in the eye and not at the ceiling"), attire ("Yes dear, you will need to change out of those wrinkled pants and remove the gel globs from your hair), possible questions and savvy tips ("Attempts to share random Garfield jokes are not appreciated").

Already our son is loving the work experience (steak and salad, where's the scary Scout fare?) and we're loving what he's learning (social skills, leadership, getting used to being away from the comforts of home).

We knew it was working when within 24 hours he called and said, "Just want to let you guys know that I appreciate how much you do for me."

That's what I call a work in progress.

e-mail: lifechange@rfburst.com