To expect my 16 yr old to get full time work for the summer?

[whatthewhatthewhat]

At least 8 weeks until they go back to school for A-Levels. I worked full time at that age. AIBU to think they should get a job for the summer?

[Chasingsquirrels]

Up to you, I'm not expecting mine to - although he does do 2 long shifts a week as a life guard any way and will continue with that.
Nor sure what sort of 8/9 week job they'd get anyway?

[TwinklyMummaLuvsHerBubba89]

YABU, give them a break. You're only 16 once.

A part time job if money is needed.

Why do you think that because you had to, they should?

[stroopwafelgirl]

Presuming they have just finishes GCSEs, yes you are being unreasonable. It’s mentally and physically draining, and many teachers will anticipate that students will have had time to relax and decompress before starting A-Levels. Obviously they can look for part-time work (good for cv and spare cash) but it’s often hard to come by.

[Nothingsuitsmelikeasuit]

You think a 16 year old will easily find a job immediately where they will be employed full time for just eight weeks?

[hmga90]

YANBU.

My parents expected this of me when I finished my GCSEs. I soon learnt when they refused to pay for me to go to Abersoch for the weekend and the rest of friends went.

Soon as I turned sixteen my pocket money stopped until I got a job. I worked one weekend day a week and my parents topped up my wages by giving me another half on top as pocket money.

[wafflyversatile]

And if she said she wont be able to retire until she's 70 so you have to work until you're 70?

[HippoPotter]

It would take longer than 8 weeks just to find a full time job. And then you’d have to lie to the employer because if they found out you only wanted 8 weeks work they wouldn’t hire you.

[whatthewhatthewhat]

Surely temp work is not that hard to find?
Also, it's character building and will strengthen desire to build a career rather than get stuck in a dead-end 'job'.

Will also pay for the millions of things they suddenly 'need'!

[wafflyversatile]

There is no reason to think it will do any of those things.

[teenmum1]

Quite a few of my DCs friends managed to find some work in the summer after GCSE but probably not full time. Mainly seasonal stuff like selling ice creams on beach, working at a soft play etc.

Its possible but might work better if they are looking to carry on as a Saturday job or something after the hols

[Sakura7]

YABVU

They have a tougher future ahead of them than you did at 16, and will be working til an older age and with a lower standard of living. Give them a break.

I also agree you're living in lalaland if you think a 16 year old can walk into a full time job for 8 weeks. It's not like it was 20 or 30 years ago.

[Pipandmum]

My son would love to have even a part time job as his GCSEs finished a week ago
and he’s out of school. But he’s 15 for another five weeks and just about every job he’s enquired about says he has to be 16. He has a part time job but it’s not giving him the hours he hoped for.
If he was 16 I would hope he’d work at least 20 hours a week during the summer. Not full time though, he has sport commitments and a girlfriend and he’ll be on that work treadmill soon enough.

[NaomifromMilkshake]

There was not much money when I was growing up, but my parents refused to let us get summer or weekend jobs. The attitude was you will be working lonnnnnnnnnnnnng enough.

I only work part time and at 55 it feels like just enough, DH works FT and between us we are not broke.....

My parents were right. IMO

DS (18) has only now been allowed to pursue a weekend job.

He did have one at the rugby club from when he turned 15, but he was very lucky if that was three times a year.

[DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops]

Yanbu to hope they will find a job for Saturdays etc and pick up overtime whilst they're on hols, as long as they have some rest, too.

Yab-possibly-u to expect somewhere to hire them on as temp full time just for summer hols. They might get "seasonal" but they technically aren't available for all that long.

[Kokeshi123]

The world of work has changed a lot and they will be very lucky to get something that exactly fits those hours, OP. Most 16yos that I know who work have had to cobble together bits and pieces from babysitting, life guarding and little Saturday jobs etc. Most employers don't want to hire a random 16yo to do full time hours for 8 weeks only.

Also, does he not have any studying to do? I'd want to make sure he set aside time for that. My cousins were put under so much pressure to work, work, work round the clock during their free time by my uncle and aunt, who did not understand that things are a bit different to how it was in their day. My cousins would finish their working shifts and feel knackered, and all they would actually want to do was go out with their mates and relax. Studying didn't really happen, and I suspect it's why neither ended up doing as well as they could have done at their A levels (they are both intelligent people, by the way).

Doing SOME work is fine obviously, but full time for 8 weeks sounds well over the top.

[Sashkin]

If you live in a seaside town you might find somewhere that will take them on for the season. Although when au worked on Brighton Pier, you had to be 18 even to work in the ice cream kiosk, and they hired in May for June-Sept so a) she’d be too late now and b) they wouldn’t want a school kid who would leave at the end of August leaving them short-staffed.

She might get work fruit picking if you live in Kent or East Anglia. Bloody hard work for very little pay though. She won’t get factory work while she’s under 18, for H&S/insurance reasons. Supermarkets and retail don’t generally want huge numbers of extra summer staff (Christmas yes).

Temp office work, just for the summer? Forget it. I couldn’t even get that when I was a university student, and that was 20 years ago. What offices do you know that have a sudden need for extra unskilled staff with zero experience in summer? She can’t even apply for anything needing 5 GCSEs until she gets her results, can she? Which rules out a lot of jobs.

Don’t get me wrong, she should be encouraged to apply. But if she gets nowhere it’s probably not her fault. The job market is a hell of a lot harder than it was thirty years ago, for people with no qualifications (which is what she is currently).

[Babyroobs]

My 16 year old has just finished GCSE's and shows no inclination to find a job ! Money is not important to him , he doesn't ask us for any so I guess it's up to him. He is having a few weeks off and then doing the NCS programme over the summer. I will encourage him towards a part time job in September.

[LittlePaintBox]

There just aren't that many unskilled temp jobs around nowadays. I saw this with my niece, whose mum insisted she had to get a job when staying for the summer in their economically depressed town. Her mum was going entirely on her memories of what it was like when we were kids, when loads of businesses took on students in summer jobs to provide holiday cover. Alas, few businesses can do this now.

[IGottaSeeJane]

Surely temp work is not that hard to find

May Heaven preserve your innocence OP!

[Knitclubchatter]

how utterly bizarre, it depends on where you live and what is available surely. along with a little bit of who you know. does your teen even drive/have access to a vehicle?

[Sakura7]

will strengthen desire to build a career rather than get stuck in a dead-end 'job'

Just to pick up on this point, it can work the opposite way too, i.e. you get used to earning money and don't want to give it up to go to college. I have seen this happen.

Anyway, I think you need to understand how different the job market is now, and don't put unreasonable pressure your child.

[BoomBoomsCousin]

I think it’s a lot harder for kids to get work now than it used to be. YmayNBU to expect them to try, but YAprobablyBU to expect it to happen.

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

I teach students just a bit older - university level - and the majority have got increased hours in their part-time jobs, working in shops, bars, restaurants, fast food places etc. Of the students with no term-time job, only one has secured a “summer job” which will end when the summer does, and that is working in her dad’s company.

I had one summer working full-time in a BT call centre, otherwise did as the above, picked up extra shifts in the shop/bar I worked in.

[ineedtogotobedanyway]

Surely temp work is not that hard to find?

What kind of temp work are you thinking of?

[Abergavennie]

Those sort of jobs rarely want 16 year olds any more. The world of work has changed significantly since you were that age.

And yes, unless you’re struggling financially, I think you would be unreasonable. I won’t be making mine get jobs after GCSEs. They need to relax and prepare for A-levels.