Helping at my mom's restaurant, Golden Chicken in Bay Shore

Do you like helping your parents? I do! My mom owns a Peruvian restaurant, Golden Chicken on 164 E. Main St. in Bay Shore. I go there almost every Saturday.

First, we always go shopping for food and supplies for the restaurant. I like to help her carry the heavy things and load them into our cart. It’s so much fun seeing all the different colors and varieties of food. After we buy all the products, we head to the restaurant. Sometimes, depending on how much time we spend on buying the supplies, we get there either early or late.

If we get there when the restaurant hasn’t opened yet, I help clean it. I sweep the floor, clean the tables, clean the windows and water the plants. When customers start coming in, I also do other jobs. I dry the forks and spoons after they’ve been washed. I sometimes stay in the eating area to help customers if they have any questions. A lot of people love Peruvian food. It’s really delicious. Some foods may sound weird or exotic, but they are actually really good. I really like the seafood!

I love organizing the food in the pantry. Everything is so fresh. When there are holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, Easter or Valentine’s Day, I work with a few of the waitresses to set up the decorations. On Halloween, we bought so many decorations. It’s a really fun job. I would make sure to get there extra early to give the restaurant a makeover! Decorating for holidays is probably my favorite job.

It’s actually really fun to help your parents — even if you don’t feel like you want to do it. By the way, it also lets you spend more time with your loved ones instead of watching TV and playing with your electronics.

I love working with my mom — we make such a great team. I will always know that I’m happy with my family and who they are. The restaurant will always be in my heart.

Jennifer Guerriero’s fifth-grade class, St. Patrick School, Smithtown