Should my 14-year-old be paid for helping at holiday camps?

[aimee41]

Dd 14 has been doing a hobby for 8 years now and has recently been asked to help at holiday camps. The children attending pay £40 a day to attend. There is obviously hall hire but no other expenses for the coach. When dd was asked to help last time we didn’t ask re payment, I guess we hoped the coach would offer.
Dd has now been asked again. On the one hand she would do it for free, but I don’t want her exploited. There are sometimes other helpers but they are older and help in regular classes and I am pretty sure get paid. Then there are other volunteers but these are mostly mothers running refreshments stands at particular events, not teaching children. Has anyone else experience of this? Thank you

DD can say no to volunteering if she doesn't want to do this without being paid. Problem solved.

It's not exploitation.
The dd wants to do it.
It is something to do for a few days out of the holiday.
She will have benefitted from older teens helping out when she was little.
She will gain experience, which, in turn, will help her get paid employment.
If she doesn't want to do it, she doesn't have to, but it is very likely she will have fun.

So much in the World happens because of people Volunteering.
The world is a better place because of it.
Study after study has shown that Volunteers themselves benefit from Volunteering.

If you don't want to do it, then don't do it, but suggesting people who Volunteer are being exploited is an odd way of looking at the World.

I would encourage it even if unpaid. At least you know she’s occupied and gaining skills and experience during hols. Lots of parents are grateful their dc can attend free as helpers when they age out of holiday childcare but you don’t necessarily want them alone 8-6 day in day out when you are at work just in bed on their phones.

Dd helped out at an equestrian centre camp. Unpaid and voluntary. She did benefit from it and wanted to do it.

I wouldn't be demanding pay for a 14 year old who is going to enjoy it and benefit from it.

A 16 year old would be a different story. The 14 year old will need a lot of supervision.

Not really,if she's volunteering happily.

Don't you ever volunteer for anything?

Seems to me she's being given a free place on the holiday course in return for helping out a bit.

And in case anyone is wondering, nobody ever earned a lot of money by running a local dance school. I know quite a lot of dance teachers, and most of them have other day jobs as well - they have to, in order to make ends meet.

@taxi4ballet i don’t think she’s getting a free place on the holiday course as I don’t think the course is for kids as old as 14. A lot of holiday
clubs drop off after the age of 11 or 13 at a stretch.

This is a dance school so probably a bit different. My dd did them for years, and there were always teenagers as well as younger kids at the ones she did.

From the content of the OP's posts, I don't think it is different. And I think she might well have mentioned it was a free place at the camp, if it was, given that is obviously a form of compensation.

Anyway, the camp will now be underway and OP hasn't returned for a few days, so I suspect we will never know.

Have a great day.

I may be looking at it differently to you, but that does not make it the wrong way. My opinion is just as valid as your opinion.EDIT: I don't know what's going on with the ouster names, but I'm both melty moments & the one you quoted.

What happened over half term, @aimee41 ?