Toca Magazine’s Kid’s-Eye View project helps grown-ups see the world through the eyes of kids. We asked some kids what businesses they’d “boss around” if they had the chance. That said, these kids were more interested in doing a job that matches their interests, and helps others, than merely being in charge. They have a lot to teach us about how to treat each other in a mixed-up world.

If you were the boss, what business would you run?

• Caroline, 5 1/2: A ballet school.
• Sissy, 7: Animal doctor in charge of a vet’s office.
• Kaajal, 7: A pet adoption store. We’d have a bunch of different kinds of animals, even tigers, lions and koalas.
• Logan, 10 & Navin, 10: Car business with cars that could withstand a giant tsunami or flood.

Caroline: A ballet school.

What would your job be as the person in charge?

• Caroline, 5 1/2: Teaching the kids ballet … and dancing.
• Sissy, 7: When animals come in, I would give them a checkup or a shot if they’re hurt.
• Kaajal, 7: Every day I’d have a telephone that connects to a speaker in everybody’s house who works for me and I’d say “Get up, sleepyheads, get up!” and when they come in, I would give out cards that would say what their job is that day.
• Logan, 10: My job would be to check on production and give pointers.
• Navin, 10: I would tell people what cars we’re making, what the designs are, and then answer calls from people who want the cars. If Logan and I are co-bosses, then we would both split the work and split our money.

Sissy: When animals come in, I would give them a checkup or a shot if they’re hurt.

How would you reward your staff if they do a really good job?

• Caroline, 5 1/2: Give them candy.
• Sissy, 7: Give them a vacation to Florida or the water park.
• Kaajal, 7: If I was a rich lady, I would pay them 500 pounds (British money) and also a thousand million dollars for working for me, once every week. For a special reward, they would pick a place they really want to go and I would give them a gift card so they can go there any time they want.
• Logan, 10: Give them a paycheck that’s only $60 a week. They have to do super good to get over that (e.g., make 10 car parts in one week).
• Navin, 10: Regular pay would be $700 per week. For a reward, I would let them stay over for dinner at my house.

Kaajal: I would pay them 500 pounds and also a thousand million dollars for working for me, once every week.

How would you help your staff solve problems or fix mistakes?

• Caroline, 5 1/2: Cancel their show until they learn … or just give them another piece of candy.
• Sissy, 7: If they make five mistakes, they get fired. If they’re not getting along, I would tell them to go in different rooms.
• Kaajal, 7: If you make a mistake, you tell me and I say “That’s OK, everyone makes mistakes. We’ll have other people help you.”
• Logan, 10: No paycheck for five weeks!
• Navin, 10: I would tell them to take a break, but if they weren’t doing their job right or listening to orders, I would pay them less money. If they already received a reward, they would lose that reward. If me and Logan had trouble getting along, we would just take a break, breathe, then come back in, sit, apologize and keep working.

Logan and Navin: If me and Logan had trouble getting along, we would just take a break, breathe, then come back in, sit, apologize and keep working.

Marj Kleinman is a Brooklyn based photographer and children’s media producer with a master’s in educational psychology. All photos by Marj Kleinman.