Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think our 18 year olds should work instead of wasting away weekends?

335 replies

Roxen · 14/03/2026 14:54

First of all, I know they are 18 so I have no control over this, it’s more about the debate between DH and I.

DH and I have twins who are 18, in their last year of school, they are doing IB diploma so it’s quite intense, has a lot involved in it, exams start at the end of April and run through May.

We agreed to neither of them having part time jobs as between their studies and the extra things they have to do they wouldn’t have time. However this weekend I’m feeling quite annoyed about that, as neither of them are going to do anything remotely related to school.

Last night they went to a friends birthday party, got home at about 2am, they then along with DD sat up for the F1 sprint race. Went to sleep for a few hours woke back up for qualifying and went to sleep again afterwards. Now they have all gone to the pub where they will stay all day for the 6 nations matches. DD has said when she gets home she will watch the Indian wells tennis semi-finals, before going to sleep and waking up for the F1 tomorrow. They then all have tickets for a football game tomorrow, before going out for dinner with school friends.

I think this is a stupid amount of time to spend doing very little over a whole weekend, I don’t really enjoy watching sports but my kids do and I increasingly feel it takes up all of their time. DH thinks it’s fine, it’s culture and they can study another weekend. I think if they have the time to waste a weekend away in front of the TV, they have time to take on a part time job.

AIBU?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Comefromaway · 06/04/2026 10:02

What about young carers, or those who volunteer or who take part in high level sports/music/dance, that all shows a strong work ethic.

Doteycat · 06/04/2026 10:00

mathanxiety · 06/04/2026 02:07

You have no way of proving you have a solid work ethic without a part time job on your cv.

Yes u do.
Such an ignorant narrow minded comment.

SummerFeverVenice · 06/04/2026 08:09

mathanxiety · 06/04/2026 02:07

You have no way of proving you have a solid work ethic without a part time job on your cv.

High grades/ a 1st should be enough proof of work ethic. A job for money just proves you have expensive tastes.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 06/04/2026 07:50

mumonthehill · 29/03/2026 07:29

I do think from reading threads like this one that there are alder huge regional differences in young people's ability towards get jobs. We are in Wales and all of dc friends have all had jobs from 16.

Same we are in the south west and every teen I know has had a job since they were 16.

My 16yo nephew has just got a job at Macdonalds, he had to apply a few times but got there in the end.

mathanxiety · 06/04/2026 02:07

Doteycat · 31/03/2026 16:16

You dont have to have a pt job to learn a work ethic.

You have no way of proving you have a solid work ethic without a part time job on your cv.

thefloorislavayes · 06/04/2026 00:01

Nicelynicelyjohnson · 27/03/2026 21:25

Both my kids had paper rounds in the last four years.
Many of their friends had/still have them now.

I would totally recommend it to kids where I live, but obviously I am not sure about other parts of the country. And of course, less people read papers than in bygone years so probably smaller rounds than "back in the day".

where on earth do you live?

Mintchocs · 31/03/2026 17:03

Those right bastards OP, having a bit of fun! How very dare they 😄.

Seriously, work life balance is so important. You need to find time to enjoy life as well as all the hard work.

Comefromaway · 31/03/2026 16:32

There absolutely are not loads of part time jobs. My daughter has applied for hundreds since becoming a student and she has worked part time for 3 years and full time for 3 years prior to that.

shhblackbag · 31/03/2026 16:30

Let 18-year-olds have some fun. They'll be working for the rest of their lives.

Doteycat · 31/03/2026 16:16

NavyTurtle · 31/03/2026 15:43

You completely missed my point. It's about instilling a work ethics. They are adults. Plenty of part time jobs out there.

You dont have to have a pt job to learn a work ethic.

Badbadbunny · 31/03/2026 16:08

NavyTurtle · 31/03/2026 15:43

You completely missed my point. It's about instilling a work ethics. They are adults. Plenty of part time jobs out there.

I've not missed your point at all and I agree that instilling work ethic is vital. My point is that there really aren't "plenty of part time jobs out there" in lots of towns, especially the run down regions etc. As said above, maybe in a big city there are plenty of part time jobs, but in my town, we don't even have a McDonalds.

If there were plenty of jobs, we wouldn't have a million unemployed NEETS plus lots of students without jobs, not to mention lots of adults without jobs. Unemployment is at a 5 year high at the moment.

NavyTurtle · 31/03/2026 15:43

Badbadbunny · 27/03/2026 16:09

It's impossible for half a school year group to get Saturday jobs in Woolworths these days! Have you seen the state of most town's "High Streets". The big chains that employed loads of people have all gone, i.e. Woolies, C&A, Littlewoods, Debenhams, BHS, etc. The few chains that have survived like Boots, M&S, etc only run a skeleton staff due to self serve tills, NMW, Ers NIC rises, etc. Same with supermarkets - they don't have "Saturday" staff - again, staff numbers greatly depleted and they're all day operations with staff multi tasking between picking online shopping, stacking shelves, supervising the self service tills etc.

You completely missed my point. It's about instilling a work ethics. They are adults. Plenty of part time jobs out there.

Thechaseison71 · 29/03/2026 14:02

JonesTown · 29/03/2026 13:59

Wrong- DC need friends at that age!

What's friends got to do with it? You don't buy those

JonesTown · 29/03/2026 13:59

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 23:17

Basic Clothes/ toiletries travel to school/ college, food ( not takeaways) are needs. Pretty much everything else is wants

Wrong- DC need friends at that age!

Thechaseison71 · 29/03/2026 08:46

Doteycat · 28/03/2026 23:33

In your opinion.

Well tell me what else is strictly NECESSARY to survive and get educated. Like in what you can't do without( not nice to have)

mumonthehill · 29/03/2026 07:29

I do think from reading threads like this one that there are alder huge regional differences in young people's ability towards get jobs. We are in Wales and all of dc friends have all had jobs from 16.

Doteycat · 28/03/2026 23:33

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 23:17

Basic Clothes/ toiletries travel to school/ college, food ( not takeaways) are needs. Pretty much everything else is wants

In your opinion.

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 23:17

Doteycat · 28/03/2026 22:58

But what one needs is not always what another needs.
Who decides that?
Some consider paying for their bus pass a luxury. Some consider buying a car a luxury.
Its not set in stone.

Basic Clothes/ toiletries travel to school/ college, food ( not takeaways) are needs. Pretty much everything else is wants

Doteycat · 28/03/2026 22:58

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 11:23

I always supported my kids needs. Their WANTS however are you to them

But what one needs is not always what another needs.
Who decides that?
Some consider paying for their bus pass a luxury. Some consider buying a car a luxury.
Its not set in stone.

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 14:04

Badbadbunny · 28/03/2026 13:08

Yes, indeed, there was a "bulge" in jobs due to covid as supermarkets were short staffed as they needed to quickly ramp up online and click/collect shopping, more staff to control queues, staff to replace older/vulnerable staff who couldn't risk going to work, etc.

That was six years ago. Things have changed!

And irrelevant to DS job in McDonald's

And if it was a COVID thing how comes they were still working once it was over. By the time DS was 18 the COVID tuff was finished

Badbadbunny · 28/03/2026 13:08

Everybodys · 28/03/2026 13:00

Sure, I can see how covid and the associated policy ramifications opened up some opportunities there.

Yes, indeed, there was a "bulge" in jobs due to covid as supermarkets were short staffed as they needed to quickly ramp up online and click/collect shopping, more staff to control queues, staff to replace older/vulnerable staff who couldn't risk going to work, etc.

That was six years ago. Things have changed!

Everybodys · 28/03/2026 13:00

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 12:45

Oh my DS and his mates had jobs from 2020 as 16 year olds

Sure, I can see how covid and the associated policy ramifications opened up some opportunities there.

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 12:45

Everybodys · 28/03/2026 12:04

I think it's just sort of a gradual process. Several things have happened over time.

We've got a cultural idea of childhood as going on longer, and expect much more in the way of safeguarding than we used to. The requirement to stay in education or training until 18 in England has been in since 2015. Until the 00s, it didn't used to be uncommon for people to leave school after GCSEs and go straight into full time work- I'm an elder millennial from a working class area and I knew quite a few people who did this in the early to mid 00s. So having people that age in the workplace was normal.

Then there's been a rise in the real terms value of NMW over a lengthy period, which has meant lower skilled people of all age groups often find it harder to cover the costs of employing them, iyswim. The sort of jobs 16 year old weekend workers often used to do, like shelf stacking and tills, are less likely to just allow you to be in that one niche now. Someone mentioned upthread that supermarket workers more typically have to be familiar with tills, stacking and self service supervision. Harder to get that proficiency in 8 hours a week. And a lot of those sectors are shrinking anyway. We all know what's happened to the High Street.

Oh my DS and his mates had jobs from 2020 as 16 year olds

Everybodys · 28/03/2026 12:04

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 11:45

So when has this changed

I think it's just sort of a gradual process. Several things have happened over time.

We've got a cultural idea of childhood as going on longer, and expect much more in the way of safeguarding than we used to. The requirement to stay in education or training until 18 in England has been in since 2015. Until the 00s, it didn't used to be uncommon for people to leave school after GCSEs and go straight into full time work- I'm an elder millennial from a working class area and I knew quite a few people who did this in the early to mid 00s. So having people that age in the workplace was normal.

Then there's been a rise in the real terms value of NMW over a lengthy period, which has meant lower skilled people of all age groups often find it harder to cover the costs of employing them, iyswim. The sort of jobs 16 year old weekend workers often used to do, like shelf stacking and tills, are less likely to just allow you to be in that one niche now. Someone mentioned upthread that supermarket workers more typically have to be familiar with tills, stacking and self service supervision. Harder to get that proficiency in 8 hours a week. And a lot of those sectors are shrinking anyway. We all know what's happened to the High Street.

Everybodys · 28/03/2026 11:48

Thechaseison71 · 28/03/2026 11:43

Yes that was the youngest. He was at college at the time and worked ever since through college and uni. The other 2 are quite a bit older, one was doing A levels and the other hairdressing at college. As for the jobs 2 at McDonald's and another one at Wimpy Before 16 the older two had paper rounds, one a weekly paper and the other and evening paper mon- fri

Edited

Thanks for clarifying.

This means you're talking about hugely different climates to 2026. Even in the most recent example, covid was a time when the workforce shrunk in quite a short space of time. Those conditions are not replicated now.

Swipe left for the next trending thread