Should Napa Regulate Kids' Lemonade Stands?

Did you know abou the “war” on lemonade stands?

I didn’t, but my Facebook friends sure let me know about it.

On Facebook a few weeks ago, I posted a picture of my kids and their friends hosting a lemonade stand in front of my house.

These tech-savvy little kids actually asked me to post a photo, hoping that it might entice people to stop by and buy a glass of lemonade.

The warning comments began within minutes.

“Hope they don’t get a $500 fine from the city,” one friend wrote.

“Do they have a permit?” wrote another.

Admittedly, I have some wonderfully cynical and sarcastic friends, so I attributed the comments to that.

But then my neighbor posted links to articles about how police in other U.S. cities have actually shut down kids’ lemonade stands and fined the parents.

All this made me wonder: Was I really doing something wrong?

Was this the biggest problem that some cities had – kids’ lemonade stands?

Had the world really come to this?

In Napa, we’ve had lemonade stands in the past with no problems. and have been customers.

It never occurred to me that I might need to get a permit, or that the lemonade might need to be prepared in a certified kitchen.

For lemonade mix and water? That seems like overkill to me.

Some people fed up with the crackdown on lemonade stands have even organized a national “Lemonade Freedom Day,” which encourages people all across the country to host lemonade stands on August 20.

I always try to stop and support the little entrepreneurs who take the time to set up a lemonade stand and sit in the hot sun to make a few bucks.

It teaches children the value of work, money, advertising, and customer service, among other important lessons.

What do you think?