To be annoyed by all parents of 16-18yos

[MortifiedAdams]

Who insist on calling up their DCs place of work / potential place of work to do the following:

*Ask about job vacancies
*Ask how to apply for jobs, what the pay is, hours and holiday
*Ask how their dc did at interview / when their dc will hear back from HR
*Ask how their dc will get to work in the snow / on the bus etc
*Ring in sick for their dc
*Call in to speak to management about shifts, hours worked etc

IN short, everything a person actually IN (or applying for) the job should be doing.

Part of working is being responsible for doung this not having Mum and Dad doing it for you. And I dont even work in HR, must be worse for them!!

[sashh]

I have a friend doing this, filling in application forms with him, telling him which answers to put.

He's just finished A Levels, she has made him a packed lunch every day, does his washing and ironing.

He 'can't' use the cooker because he is 'scared of it' - well the gas hob anyway, somehow he manages to put pizza in the oven.

[Flobbadobs]

I agree with everything on your OP apart from the phoning in sick bit. For the simple reason that the one and only time my Dad called in sick for me my boss told him that he would have been shocked if I had been in a fit state to phone myself... Apparently I looked utterley shocking the day before and he almost sent me home (I worked the tills at Woolies) but called someone else in for the following day just in case I was as ill as he thought I was.

[Birdsgottafly]

I have phoned in sick for my DD, and got involved in a dispute over the way that she was spoken to in her work placement, her manager wanted her in a day after a operation, even her Nurse was willing to challenge my DD's manager, over it.

If managers and other staff members treated 16-18 year olds, as they would older workers and stuck to appropriate and acceptable ways of communicating, then i wouldn't of had to.

I also pulled up my DD's head teacher on one occasion, when she made a sarcastic remark over my DD's health condition (which needed hospital appointments/stays). Some people in authority try to get away with behavior towards teens, that they wouldn't dream of doing to anyone more confident and knowledgable.

[PrincessWellington]

I used to recruit for a national fast food chain. It happened weekly. More after GCSEs. I had one mother tell me her daughter possibly couldn't do the cleaning. Get another job then, love.

[runningonwillpower]

Regarding phone in 'sick voices'. We all do it, the sorry for yourself voice. But if you have ever taken that call, you would know how stupid it sounds. Unless your illness is directly connected to your vocal chords, just phone in with your normal voice. Trust me.

[spangledboots]

Some kids/teens that age still seem to need everything to be done for them. My ex is 25 and his mother still tries to do that...

...good job he's my ex!

My dad got me a summer job when I was 13 working for his cousin in a shop but after that I was on my own.

[Pollydon]

YANBU, This very thing gives me the RAGE.
Its a daily occurrence in my job, ffs, do they intend on sitting with them through the interview & doing the bloody job for them ? Employers hate this

[MammaTJ]

Better he learns how to behave in a work environment when he's not relying on his wages to cover the roof over his head , than have to work it out later on when he's got people depending on him. I actually think not letting him learn for himself is a bit of a disservice . It really doesn't do him any favours

This, it also applies re housework!!

[Plomino]

I have rung in sick for DS1 once ( he works for waitrose) because he had a temperature of 103 and was actually delirious and babbling on about the beetles , so him ringing work would have been entertaining . But other than that , he's on his own . He applied , arranges his own overtime ( works every hour he can) , and fights his own battles .

Better he learns how to behave in a work environment when he's not relying on his wages to cover the roof over his head , than have to work it out later on when he's got people depending on him. I actually think not letting him learn for himself is a bit of a disservice . It really doesn't do him any favours .

[CardiffUniversityNetballTeam]

I had a woman come into my work the other day to drop in an application form she had filled in for her son. She asked me if I would be able to give him a job as a present from her as a well done for doings so well in his GCSEs. I was honestly lost for words.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Hassled - I think it's good parenting to give your teenager some tips about how to do a covering letter and how to make a CV stand out. I also think it's fine to read through what they've done and help with polishing them. BUT I do think the applicant should have done the main body of the CV and covering letter themselves. After all it is them, not the parent, that the employer will get if the application is successful.

[Sleep404]

I had a summer job in a burger place opp Windsor Castle one year. The managers had a policy of girls behind the counter as they were apparently more calm under pressure . Anyway, there was one very young and extremely shy girl who was made to mop and clear trays for weeks (a job that would usually have been shared by everyone). Her folks came in and read the manager the riot act and the next day she was behind the counter with the rest of us.
One of those rare occasions where I think it was okay for her parents to stand up for her. She obviously was incapable of doing it herself.

[lljkk]

*Ask about job vacancies
*Ask how to apply for jobs, what the pay is, hours and holiday

I would do those, if I had an irksome teen lurking around the house & lacking the self-confidence to do it themselves.

Fair enough on the other points.

[Spidder]

My mum had to phone in sick to my bar job for me once, when I was 18.

It was my last day of 6th form and I had got unintentionally plastered that hot, sunny afternoon. My friends had to drag me home - quite literally at times - over a mile. Not sure if I'm still a bit amused by this, or more these days.

I may have been passed out on the bathroom floor when she phoned, so technically it was justified.

[marriedinwhiteagain]

I get more annoyed by wives who do it.

[Hassled]

I wrote CVs and covering letters for mine - I mean they had input, but I made sure they weren't crap, which seems well within the normal parenting remit to me - and how else were they to know how to do it? Apart from that, they were on their own.

[solarbright]

I can't believe all the people dodging ringing their own employers when ill. Unless you're properly critical, do it your own damn self. (And the ones who have their mums/partners/housemates ring up are almost never critical, they're just... ill.)

[zoraqueenofzeep]

I don't know whether it's a new generational thing or whether there have always been overly dependent child-adults like this but I don't remember anyone being this useless 15 years ago. I think perhaps a part of it is a mobile phone generation where many are so used to having their parents on 24 hour call that they never had to use their own initiative or learn to be properly independent and the parents never learn to let go.

[MardyPants]

I am a manager and have had to deal with parents coming in to have a go at me because their precious child has been treated 'unfairly' (has been treated perfectly fairly in line with procedure / policy but has gone home crying / ranting to mummy and daddy when they can't get / don't make it clear what they want, often with false bullying accusations thrown in)

These parents are invariably INCREDIBLY rude and patronising. The employees involved have all been in the age 20-30 range!

Dear aggressive, overbearing parents - you have embarrassed yourself and your precious, perfect child and made yourself look like a dick, and the person you had a go at is now sniggering at you and thanking their lucky stars they don't have you as a parent

[plieadianpony]

No you are not being unresonable. Stupid parents. I would perhaps go through the paper with, or point out vacancies for dc, coach them how to make a call the first time. Do it for them? Not a bleeding chance!

(Though i'm not even there yet so it doesn't matter really!)

[Burmillababe]

My place of work insists that the employee themself ring in sick, they don't allow someone to do it on their behalf! Seems fair to me!! I live alone so would have no choice. I do remember having to go to the phone box (before everyone had mobiles!) with cystitis though......

[Bakingtins]

I was going to say you are BU for being annoyed by all parents of teens, but I think (apart from the phoning in sick) you are right.
We have endless parents phoning for work experience placements and getting all huffy when we say the young person needs to phone up, speak to the relevant person, send in a CV and come for an interview - because it's experience of applying for a job and they learn nothing if the parent does it for them.

[MammaTJ]

It's often in your contract or employee handbook that you must personally call in yourself.

What if they are unconcious, or otherwise unable to ring? I ring in sick for my DP and would for teens too, for genuine illness. I drew the line at phoning in sick for my DStD when she was a lazy teen as she would ask me to because she couldn't be arsed to get out of bed.


The rest of it, I agree with. I did go with my DD when she was 14 and looking for a job and the man who employed her said it meant to him that she would be reliable as she had her parents backing.