Summer is here, understanding the desire of many parents to find opportunities for their children to experience real life, away from phone and computer screens, Ms. Vu Viet Chinh, owner of a bookstore in Hung Yen , came up with the idea of recruiting "child employees" to support sales.
Chinh's book stall at the fair attracts children (Photo: Character provided).
It seemed like everything would go smoothly, but Ms. Chinh had to "have a headache" with funny situations, culminating in the realistic calculation of an 11th grade girl.
When real math is far different from textbooks
To attract customers, Ms. Chinh’s bookstore applied a 20% discount program for all books. However, this policy created an unforgettable memory for the 11th grade student.
Ms. Chinh recounted that when a customer asked: "If one book is 20% off, how much is the discount for three books?", instead of giving the result of 20%, this girl quickly replied: "60%!".
Owners like Ms. Chinh were "shocked" by the employee's special way of calculating the bill, because with such a calculation, her shop would suffer heavy losses.
"Of course, the customer knew that I had miscalculated, so he asked me to recalculate. I also had to share with the customer that this was my first time selling, so I was a bit confused. I hope the customer will understand," Chinh recounted.
Despite some initial miscalculations, Ms. Chinh believes that these practical experiences not only help students apply mathematics but also become more confident and bold when facing situations outside of textbooks.
Another case is a "child employee" named Bao Boi, a 10-year-old girl with a 30-minute "work shift" every day (4-4 p.m.) after school. For each shift, Bao Boi is rewarded 10,000 VND.
However, the amount of money she received was not always complete. There were days when she only received 5,000 VND because she left her job to buy snacks, lost something or was late for work... Every time her money was deducted, Bao Boi "cried to heaven and earth", but after Ms. Chinh's explanations and persuasion, she gradually accepted and learned her lesson.
After several times of "losing pay", the 10-year-old girl started to be more careful, always asking permission when she wanted to leave her position. She was especially interested in using the sales software, scanning product codes and handling customers' money. Although sometimes she made mistakes, she was always very excited and receptive to Ms. Chinh's instructions.
Children are introduced to practical calculations (Photo: Viet Chinh).
Notably, after Tet, when Bao Boi "looked" at an item worth more than 200,000 VND, she calculated that she would have to work hard for 1-1.5 months to have enough money to buy it. From then on, Bao Boi decided not to receive daily rewards anymore, but to let her receive them at the end of the month to "make a difference".
According to Ms. Chinh, from a mischievous, "rude" girl when she first started, after just over a month working at Chich Bong bookstore, Bao Boi has become more serious with the money she earns. She is more observant, more careful in her sales operations and always runs into the store excitedly after school.
"Demands" from "child employees"
Recruiting "child employees" also brought Ms. Chinh many pleasant surprises. She said that a mother enthusiastically asked for her child to experience sales, everything was scheduled, but at the last minute, the child "turned around 360 degrees" when she said she would rather go on a retreat.
Another case is a 7th grade student who asked to go sell goods but with a special request: "Don't show your face because it looks ugly when selling goods!".
Not only stopping at unique "demands", the children also brought other funny situations.
"Last time, a 5th grader came to experience selling. He greeted customers very well, but the problem was that he said he was hungry every 15 minutes," Chinh shared.
Another situation is that a friend goes to sell goods, but also calls his mother to help.
Ms. Hanh Van (born in 1989, Hung Yen), a parent whose child participated in the book selling experience, agreed that such practical work brings great benefits to children.
"I see that my child is more active and flexible, and another thing is to help him stay away from electronic devices," the mother shared.
According to Ms. Van, her child was willing to participate in this experience without needing any persuasion, because he knew very well what he would gain from these work trips.
Children introduce books and pens at Chich Bong bookstore (Photo: Viet Chinh).
After each working session, what makes Ms. Van happiest is seeing her child excitedly show off his achievements. Not only does he recount situations he encountered while selling, but he also shows that he has more solid arguments, is more responsible for the products he sells, is more confident in communication and responds faster. In particular, this experience helps him appreciate the money he earns.
"My child has to sit in the sun, talk a lot, and has a sore back to earn this much money. From then on, when asked to spend money, he started to calculate and consider whether it was worth it or not, instead of spending his mother's money easily," said Ms. Hanh Van.
Although there are times when she has a headache because of this "summer vacation", Ms. Chinh still sees this as a valuable opportunity for young people to experience.
"This experience helps children learn and be exposed to the realities of life. I believe they will have more practical experience, understand the hardships of selling each product and earning a small amount of money," she emphasized.
Ms. Viet Chinh herself often assigns her 5-year-old son to help with housework such as cleaning, putting clothes in the washing machine, etc. so that the child can experience real life from an early age.
Although there are nearly 2 months of summer vacation left with dramatic situations and "child employees", Ms. Vu Viet Chinh is still willing to welcome more children to help out.
She concluded: "Although there are times when dealing with the children's problems gives me a headache, I believe that these are invaluable lessons that no school can teach."
According to her, letting children encounter life on their own, even if it is just small tasks such as selling books, cleaning the house, helping cook, washing dishes, etc., will help them develop essential life skills.
It is the ability to respond flexibly, confidence in communication, sense of responsibility, and especially the way to solve problems when faced with unforeseen situations.
"When children do things themselves and correct their own mistakes, they will learn a lot. Real-life experience is the best way for them to grow up, become bolder and be ready to face future challenges," Ms. Vu Viet Chinh shared.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/khoi-nghi-he-phu-ban-sach-cuoi-ngat-voi-du-chuyen-day-kich-tinh-20250611064653630.htm
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