My 16 year old doesn't want to get a summer job - not sure what to do

[tobeforgotten]

my 16 year-old worked for eight hours yesterday as a one-off making £45 and does regular chores in the house for which he gets £5/week.

He has said that he doesn't feel the need to get a summer job. That when he feels productive he would rather study calculus (this is true, at least in the sense that he lies around reading Fermat's last theorem).

I am torn, to be honest. My instinctive reaction is "it was good enough for me and your father, go down to the shops and get a job". But I'm not actually sure why.

He is kind and charming and can make friends and impress teachers very easily.

On a side-note, we are also slightly unsure how you go about getting a summer job in 2016- as I say we used to pace the high street.....

My DDS not working,she's doing NCS for 4weeks a week's holiday with her father and a week visiting relatives.She has also been set summer homework to take into college first day.
She is cleaning the house bit by bit and cooking meals on the days z I work so I feel as if she is pulling her weight.

I will talk to DH tonight with a view to refusing to handover the bulk of the cash but then letting him choose about

• whether to work

-how to spend the £5/week plus the £45 plus the £250 from Nana. £300 could keep him going till September

My colleague’s DD is 19 and finds it difficult to get a job after she came back from uni last month. I think a 16 year old may find it even more challenging, unless he has connections it gets more and more difficult.

Why not “employ” him at home? In addition to the normal chores just get stuff out you need done but can’t find the time. Gardening, deep clean, cooking for you if you work, laundry, painting the fence.

It depends how much he needs for socialising etc

My 15 yo regularly has trips out with mates often involving Nando's, train fare, cinema etc. No change from £25-30.

I'm not paying for that on a regular basis so he needs to fund it. Which he does by football coaching and refereeing. 2.5 hours work a weekend usually nets him £35. Enough for a trip out with his mates.

£300 will definitely keep him going for 6 weeks - £50 a week to spend on fripperies is more than most adults have (if you're covering his food/WiFi etc)

@pointythings I agree.

It's easier said than done for a 16yo to get a job round here. DD did a bit of dog walking. DS bought and sold bits on ebay.

It took me 6 weeks to get work after coming back from Uni when I was 19 and that was just to get a factory job. There might be small business or similar but walking around the shops was a waste of time imo

The thousands sittinf in the account need to be saved for either uni/driving lessons/rent etc

Definitely not for meals/cinema trips with friends now.

Everything in their savings is to be used for a house nothing else. DC have all got voluntary work lined up - eldest is doing vet med in local vet surgery (cleaning etc) every holiday from now until the end of school.

DD works in family business. Earns about £15 a week, but sometimes more. He gets his phone paid, but otherwise does extra chores for pocket m9ney

If he wants money to spend then yes. My DD 15 is desperate for a job bit most people want a 16 yr old.

The government trust fund is under your care isn't it until 18? My 15 yr old's is.
DD 18 has worked since 15 paper round then at 16 as a barista. All through 6th form and while revising she took 1 month off. Sh'e back working straight after A levels to save for uni and a holiday with friends. she says she'd be bored stiff for 6 weeks without work. I am very proud of her.

pointy the don't have to work every day. My DD works 3 days a week so plenty of time for rest and fun with friends.

Please don't let him have access to all the money. He shouldn't get complacent. I think not working full time is fine but I would encourage even to get something for a few hours a week.

Benji I don't see the need for them to work at all, unless the money is needed to keep the household going. I didn't work at that age. It hasn't stopped me. And summer jobs for 16 year olds are much harder to come by these days.

I am very proud of her.

Well that's great; like I said, mine didn't work until the finished doing their highers. I'm very proud of them too.

I’ve just hired a teenager to help me out in the garden with some unskilled donkey work - clearing borders, digging out tree roots etc. He just does the hours that suit us both; so two days last week and probably similar this week. I have an infinity of such work, and he seems to like that he can choose when to work so can still do stuff with friends, he hasn’t got to dress smartly or talk to people all day long.

My own friends’ reaction has been “Ooh send him over!” So certainly in this area I think there is plenty of this sort of work going.

My 17 yr old son has a summer job (all his friends have jobs). He worked as a KP in a hotel last summer and this year as a lifeguard. I have encouraged him to get a job. He works 3-4 days a week so still has time to enjoy the summer. It isn't just about the money - he is old enough to take some responsibility.

You say your son gets £5 a week for doing chores, do you give him pocket money as well? If you do (& I've no idea what the going rate for a 16 year old is now), he can probably manage without dipping into savings. He may get a job if he can find one that suits him but I wouldn't blame him for not wanting something that is just hard slog and boring, for little pay. As others have said, he faces a lot of work in the future and right now, being able to please himself is not a bad thing.

He sounds as though he is a clever boy.

We never worried about our son getting a job for the holidays or Saturdays but he did, found one quite by chance, working in something that really interested him. It was good for him and he got a lot out of it apart from the cash. We gave him a good allowance too.

Op many people would say gap year is fritter yes.

I don't know what to suggest as he has this money. But maybe he needs this time to think?

Is he going to be next maths genius?
Children, young teens need time to think, tinker.... I often think we are too keen to push them into rat wheel

Thanks.
In this house I run the money. DH was brought up to spend quite freely.

The children have a rather “take it for granted” attitude to money.

The word “complacent” sums up my concerns I th8nk.

pointy
My DD wants to work, we haven't asked her to. She like the extra money and finds weeks of hols boring.

I was saying I was proud of my DD because she works hard at school and at work. It wasn't a dig about anyone else and what they choose to do.

No not genius! :)

All of DD's friends had jobs from around age 16 too apart from 1 who was given her dad's debit card instead.