To ask how old your DC were when they got their first job?

Not my experience.

My Dd and her friends all have jobs in bakeries, pubs, and have done since 14.

It's been the making of my DD - she gets tips if she does well and sometimes she gets praised on tripadvisor for being a good waitress.

It has helped her with punctuality and also given her her own money which she seems to spend buying and selling huge quantities of clothes on depop.

I was 13 as was DS, DH was 17.

I worked as a cleaner in a holiday camp, DS did a paper round and DH who is a bit of a brain and had already done his A levels at 16 worked as a lab assistant in the research centre for a major chemical company for a year before he went off to University. DS lost his job at 16 when the local paper went online only and then went to work in a pub as a kitchen porter when in sixth form.

Paper rounds at 13 for all four of mine!

A week after he turned 16 while at college. Was furloughed, then made redundant. Got his second job as soon as the second lockdown was lifted and has worked ever since. He did have a few shifts at a golf club at 15 but not regularly.
DD (19) has not worked other than when abroad for arranged work experience (just a month). She has focussed on her studies and this past summer was her first opportunity but she left it rather late!

I don’t think this is the norm. I work in a university and lots of students have jobs at 18. Many transfer from wherever they’ve been working at home since age 16 (eg to mcDonalds or H&M branch where we are).

To the posters who mention paper rounds, can I ask how recent your experience is? Only because there are no paper rounds in my town any more because there aren’t enough customers who want newspapers delivered to merit having a paper round!

My daughter got her first job at 17, serving in a cafe. She had been trying to get a job from the day she turned 16, but had no luck for over a year. Proud of her for not giving up and continuing to apply until she was successful, even though it took 18 months

No one gets papers delivered anymore in comparison to a generation ago. We used to have 6 newsagents in the area and nowadays the final one became a vape shop 2 years ago.

You need different insurance to hire an under 16; most businesses and self employed people don’t bother.

DS and DD started volunteering from 13 or 14. DS continued with volunteer work rather than paid work right through university. DD started babysitting and cat sitting at 15, then a Saturday job by 16.

Paper round at 14

Saturday job in local shop at 16 during lockdown
Christmas job is a supermarket at 18

He still.works there now he is 20 and at uni. They allow him to move between home store and one in uni city

It seems quite common for young adults to graduate these days having never done any paid work - just volunteering and internships.

Decent internships are paid. That was what DD did in the uni summer vacations from 19 on. The first was 3 months with BT, the other two with a company who then offered her a full time position when she graduated.

All had some sort of job at 16.

All three of them were 16/17.

DC1 lifeguard at 16 in y12
DC2 lifeguard at 18, after completing y13, but had 16th birthday in 2020 during lockdown

DS1 was 16 went straight into an apprenticeship from school. His GF started working at 15 and now at 17 has 3 jobs and goes to college.

I was tutoring primary age kids in reading and arithmetic when I was 14, and also did a bit of babysitting. At 16 I worked every weekend in a restaurant. When I was 18 I added bar work. I loved having my own cash!

DD1 wanted to focus on studies so her first job was after A level Exams in May finished, up til she went away for uni. Then she picked it back up when home in the holidays.

DD2 much more into makeup and clothes, wanted to earn her own money and got a part time job when she was 16.

My son was just turned 16 and it did him so much good in terms of maturity. The job was wholly unglamorous- working the fryer in a seaside fish and chip shop- but he sort of landed on his feet with the owners, two fantastic lads who really took an interest in and encouraged him. I assume my daughter will be a similar age when she starts working. I wouldn't have it any other way. Teenagers are off school for 3 months in the Sumner in Ireland, there is no way I'd allow virtual adults to sit around all summer looking for me to fund their fun..

Both sons from age 14. Sticking up at skittles. On payroll as cleaners from 15. Age 16 at Costa.

28 year boy/girl twins here - my son started a part time job at H Samuel when he was just 16 and my daughter started at Sainsbury’s when she just turned 17. My son continued to work p/t through his studies but my daughter stopped after 8 months to concentrate on her A’levels but started again when she’d finished them and worked alongside university studies.

My sons had full-time jobs at 17 (a year at college) but had paper rounds at 14 and then Saturday or evening jobs at 16

I left school at 16, left on the Friday, started work the following Monday

DD1 was 16, DD2 was 15 end of August and starts her first part time waitress job tomorrow and DS is 12 and desperate to work!!
I was 15 when I started working.

14&16

It's really hard to find jobs for under 16s where I live. When there is a job it's so much competition! Even under 18s struggle

DC1 was 13, did a paper round, every single day weekends and weekdays getting up at 6am for a year. He saved up for a PC and once he’d got it he stopped working! He is 16 now and doesn’t seem to want to get a Saturday job.

DC2 hasn’t shown any sign of wanting to do the same at 14.