[See & Be Seen] Check Out These Little Bosses in Shanghai

There are a lot of things happening in Shanghai for families. We barely scratch the surface here at CNS, but this is something we are actively improving. If you are a parent group or community, and are interested in working together, get in touch!

One such group, Parentips, a parent-focused community and mini-program, hosted an event for student entrepreneurs, a Maker's Market. Parentips was founded by Miki Cutuli Valdivieso, a parenting coach and doula. The recent Maker's Market was cooked up by Miki and another busy mom, Debbie Foster, who you might remember from the Shanghai Expats Association. Asking Miki about the inspiration behind the event, she said: "Together with Debbie Foster, with me in the pic, we realized we wanted to find a way to help our kids develop life and business skills, becoming more independent and understanding how to make some income while contributing to the community".

So what happened at the Maker's Market? A bunch of kids in Shanghai set up actual ventures where they sold products they either made or sourced, while others handled some of the very important entertainment aspects of the market. Now, we should all be supportive of the future generation, so drop an encouraging comment on this article. The kids will be enthused.

Here's what was on offer, as well as the young bosses behind each venture:

• Sam – Second Hand Lego Shop
• Sophie – Second Hand Teddies
• Kaia – Custom Crochet Craft
• Emma & Jason – Homemade Candle Creations
• Aman & Hiroto – Fun Throwing Game
• Ian & Ethan – Ring Toss Game
• Fiona & Ella – Handmade Accessories
• Ichino – Handmade Sticker Shop
• Wilson – Photo Taking Booth
• Leo & Kris – Switch Games Station
• Andre & William – Pokémon Card Shop
• Embrik & Noah – Squishies And Small Toys
• Pablo, Nemo, Celia & Angelique – Stickers, Toys, Second-Hand Books & Face Painting
• Kanna & Nate – Muffin And Cookie Stand
• Cloe – Handmade Craft Kits
• Gala – Positive Teddy Bears With Handwritten Messages
• Noel – Creative Creations And Drawings
• Archer – Yard Sale With Second-Hand Books, Legos, Cards, and Original Mini-Stories
• Louise – Handcrafted Heat Plastic Accessories
• Ryohei & Riko – Second-Hand Toy Shop
• Harin, Jaewon, Somin & Munjeong – Homemade Madeleines And Toys
• Vicky & Kaia – Games Station
• Louise & Katy – Second-Hand Toys And Handmade Accessories
• Nemo – Second-Hand Books And Toys
• Luke & Sophia – Handmade Accessories
• Ava & Mercedes – Cupcakes, Cookies, Coffee, and 3D-Printed Keychains
• Max & Leo – 3D-Printed Toys And Fidgets

Without further ado, here are the cuties, plus a few cutie grown-ups sprinkled in the mix:

"Just two moms with the same problem as so many moms – kids with toys they'd outgrown. We had a mission: to build community, break through school boundaries, and open it up to everyone. We were so grateful to find SCIS, a school that believed in us and gave us a venue to make it happen.

What an amazing day. Sunshine, little bosses with handmade signs and serious business plans. They arrived early, set up their stalls, and got to work. We had wonderful partners and great food vendors keeping our young entrepreneurs fed and hydrated throughout.

They spent the whole day working so hard to sell their goods. Then, about half an hour before the end, something magical happened. They started trading with each other, swapping toys and treasures, which brought just as much joy as the selling itself.

Most of the leftover toys were donated to Heart to Heart, because that's exactly the kind of day it was," said Debbie Foster.

A shout out to Shanghai Community International School for offering to host the maker's market.