How Can Your Child Make Money on YouTube?
by Amanda van der Gulik

Do your kids love watching YouTube videos as much as mine do? Did you know it’s relatively easy for your child to make money by making cool videos and uploading them to YouTube?

Yup, it’s true…let me explain. My own two children both now earn regular income through their YouTube videos. Let me begin by telling you how they got interested in this empowering enterprise. Then I’ll show you how your child can be making money online too just by making fun homemade videos of things they love doing!

My son, Quinn, got really into a particular computer game, and wanted to learn more about how to build cool stuff in the game. So when he asked me to help him find some videos to show him how to play it even better, I showed him the world of YouTube….and WOW! He was absolutely hooked! He quickly learned all the cool tips and tricks to make playing his favourite game even more fun.

My daughter, Xanthe, really loves to make crafts. She wanted to make a new craft but didn’t know what to make. She noticed how many cool ideas her brother was getting from watching YouTube videos about the game he liked so much. So she asked if she could have a look and see if maybe there were some craft videos on YouTube as well. Well…as you can imagine, she was totally overwhelmed at the abundance of awesome craft ideas! Our recycling bin was emptied in no time and our display shelf was quickly filled with new crafts.

My kids are pretty clever. They also noticed that mommy was somehow making money from her own YouTube videos, so they asked me how I made my money from my videos. I explained that I let people watch my videos on YouTube for free and that I allow Google Adwords to place ads on my videos. I asked them if the videos they had been watching had any ads on them.

They said, “Yes, they did!”

So I explained how I every time someone watches my video and clicks on one of the ads that I get paid a small fee. They thought this was pretty exciting! They wanted to know more.

“Can we do that too Mommy?” they asked me.

“Of course you can.” I told them.

“But how can we do that?” they asked.

So I explained to them that you first need to have a YouTube account. I told them, that I wasn’t sure how old you have to be to have an account with them, but that I could put their videos on my account for them if they wanted me to.

Then I explained that they would have to think of some cool video ideas that people would enjoy watching. I made them go back and watch the videos they liked most to get some ideas.

Quinn wanted to make some “how to” videos of how to play his favourite game, he wanted to do some funny videos of himself doing cool stunts, and he wanted to start his own TV show using his favourite stuffed animals.

Xanthe loves to dance and do crafts, so she wanted to do videos showing how to dance and make fun crafts. She also wanted to do videos showing off cool Barbie clothes designs that she made using a special Barbie fashion game…and she wanted to start her own Barbie TV show.

They made a pact to help each other make their videos. Quinn helped Xanthe with her Barbie videos by playing the Ken doll, and Xanthe helped Quinn with his different adventures and his stuffed animal show.

Then each time they created a video, I helped them to do the editing and upload their videos to my YouTube channel. They’ve gotten quite a lot of views. Their videos are really quite funny. We all decided to do a special 90 day video challenge that a colleague of mine was running, where they would create and upload a new video every single day for 90 days! That’s a really great way to get you motivated to take action and get those videos done!

So how did they make their videos? We simply took videos using our camera; phone and screen capture software for their computer work. I like using Camtasia, but there are also other video editing programs that can do screen capture and video editing. You just have to find the one that you like best and that fits best with your budget.

When we upload the videos, there is a special spot where you can allow Google Adwords to put ads on your videos. So we always make sure that option is ticked on. It can take a few days before your ads will start showing on your videos, but the more videos you create and upload, and the more views you get, the more ads you’ll see on your videos. The best paying ones are the TV commercial type ones.

So do they make a lot of money doing this?

Not yet. It takes time. To give you an example, I have a video simply called, “How to bake a cake” and it took about a year before it really started to get watched. Once that happened though, it took off like wildfire, and has over 79,000 views so far! That’s pretty cool. So how much does that video make me on ads every month? On average about $40/month! Not bad for baking one single cake, and recording myself doing it!

Do the math, if I have 100 videos each making $40/month, that’s $4000/month!

It takes time, but it is creating long-term passive income, income that you do the work for once and get paid for over and over again! That’s the best kind of income to have for sure! AND…your child will be creating income doing something they love to do!

What could be better than that?

As their parent, you will have to open up your own YouTube and Google Adwords accounts, but once you do, you can keep track of how much your child makes and simply pay them when you get paid. It’s a pretty cool project to do with your kids, and who knows, maybe you’ll find something you want to video as well…and create passive income for your own retirement? Just a thought!

I hope you enjoyed this article. As a fellow homeschooling mom, I really love finding fun, creative ways to teach my children their life lessons while creating lasting memories that they’ll cherish for life. Maybe this could be one of them for your child.

If your child wants to get some video ideas, they can check out Xanthe and Quinn’s videos on my YouTube channel. Simply type my name into the YouTube search bar and you’ll find them. Enjoy! :D
Best-selling author, Amanda van der Gulik has been homeschooling her own two children for over 11 years and is the founder of www.TeachingChildrenAboutMoney.com. Visit Amanda’s site today to grab your FREE copy of her eBook, “50 Money Making Ideas for Kids and Teens” or her “The 6 Magical Piggy Banks” cartoon.