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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Paper round in a Range Rover

95 replies

Incywincyspinster · 10/09/2016 23:40

When I was a kid a paper round was a right of passage between childhood and getting a proper job. It was the beginning of our independence. We went out in all weathers and did it in dark mornings and evenings too. If we were lucky we'd persuade a pal to come along for the fun of it.

Our local paperboy gets driven around his route by his mum in a rangerover or his dad in a jaguar. It's not weather dependent as they're there in the sunshine too. They did the same with his brother in the years he was doing the round.

Aibu in thinking this is a bit strange, or is it the norm to be accompanied by parents in expensive top of the range motors on your paper round ?

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 11/09/2016 08:36

Driving the child round in a gas guzzling car is utterly bonkers though. Driving them round in any car at all is stupid actually.

BigTroubleInLittleChina · 11/09/2016 08:36

I understood it had to be within a certain distance to their home and within a time limit for insurance. My DD has so many she has to come back to the house twice to re-load.

The only circumstance I think the OP's situation is acceptable is if the round is some distance from where they live and they can't carry all the papers and do it within the times limit.

ClashCityRocker · 11/09/2016 08:37

We have a couple of adult paper deliverers round here. I just assume they need the money and are prepared to get off their arse and earn it, or that there aren't enough kids locally prepared to do it.

I'd have thought they'd be subject to NMW rules anyway.

LynetteScavo · 11/09/2016 08:38

I have several friends who do their kids paper round for them if it's raining.

DH actually did DS1's paper round in the rain and dark for him as it was his birthday. DH absolutely LOVED it .

DS2 does a paper round. Not for the money...its a pittance, and we could just give it to him, but he loves having a proper job it hasn't been cold or dark yet

Phalenopsisgirl · 11/09/2016 08:39

This may be the only way their dc can take the job, but they may feel it important that the boys learn the value of a pound even if they get chauffeured around. Clearly this isn't profitable for the parents and they could just give the child the money they are earning and save themselves the bother so hats off to them for making the kids do something for it.

kilmuir · 11/09/2016 08:39

Who cares? Probably worked hard to get a good job so they can afford nice cars.
I see the green eyed monster!
My nephew has a paper round. Has to go in car as spread over a huge area. Newsagent said less people have a paper delivered

ClashCityRocker · 11/09/2016 08:39

I feel sad for those children who would have loved the chance to earn some extra cash but cannot because one of the only jobs they can do has been taken by an adult

Perhaps the adult actually needs the job to pay the bills? I'm sure they're not doing it for shits and giggles.

elodie2000 · 11/09/2016 08:41

Our Sunday paper gets delivered by a girl and her Mum. Mum drives round, stops at the right houses and her DD jumps out and posts the paper. It's a bit odd.
I'd rather give my DD a £5 myself than get up at 7am on a Sunday morning to chauffeur her paper round

KoalaDownUnder · 11/09/2016 08:46

This may be the only way their dc can take the job, but they may feel it important that the boys learn the value of a pound even if they get chauffeured around.

How are the kids 'learning the value of a pound' by their parents spending more (in time + petrol) than the kid gets paid?

I think it's daft, whether it's in a Ferrari or a Corolla.

harshbuttrue1980 · 11/09/2016 08:46

Why the judgements on adults who do paper rounds? Where I live, the free paper is delivered by a single mum who does it while her kids are in school. She makes a flexible living by doing lots of small jobs fitting round her kids - she has a couple of cleaning jobs, a paper round and also does Avon. She wants to be there for her kids but also set them the example of working and not being benefit dependent - what's the problem??

WizardOfToss · 11/09/2016 08:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

momtothree · 11/09/2016 08:54

We do a round here -

It's cold wet and miserable - sharp letter boxes - overgrown paths - unlit doors - paths that aren't directly by the front door - dogs barking -

Then they add leaflets - or booklets

It isn't much fun!!

DD was ill last week so we split it 4 way - I drove to the middle - sent one child in each direction with me and DH going in the other two -

It took 2 hours!!! For £16

Bloody hard work and I don't think anyone appreciates them either !!!!

APlaceOnTheCouch · 11/09/2016 08:55

Meh! I have a funny feeling you wouldn't have written the thread if it had been an old banger although their emissions are likely to be much worse than a RR.
There could be a million reasons for them driving the DC round including that they all attend another event/class later and so need the car to go on to the next place.
It's still teaching their DC about work - about making a commitment and keeping it; about time keeping; about routine; about having a boss; about being paid. I think they're all good lessons to learn and you don't learn them by handing a DC pocket money.

Notso · 11/09/2016 08:56

The 16 year old lad two doors down from us did the free paper for a while...accompanied by his Mum because she didn't like the idea of him being out on his own.
He is over six foot and mostly goes around with his face hidden under a hoody and one of those ridiculous gangster neckerchief things. DH and I found it hilarious because we'd imagine if anything some people might be scared to see him looming at their door rather than the other way around.

MIL had a paper round for years, she took it on when SIL got fed up of it. It payed for a holiday a year for her and FIL.

HoppityFrogs · 11/09/2016 08:58

Round here there are very few children who do a paper round, a pensioner delivers our free paper. I think they are extremely low paid and not that good jobs to get to be honest so I never encouraged my children to get one; my eldest has a part time job but it pays a lot more than a paper round and he's building on useful skills that he's learnt through his hobbies - think sports coach kind of job.

acornsandnuts · 11/09/2016 09:00

The Sunday paper round was done by a 17 year old driven around by his dad. I know him so no issues why he couldn't walk or bike. He must be off to university as the mon-fri paper boy has took on the round. Always on his bike no matter what the weather.

MangoMoon · 11/09/2016 09:15

I don't think there are many children after paper rounds any more.

Not in our area SoupDragon!

My eldest has been on the list for over a year now - it's dead man's shoes round here.
He goes in every month to ask - the problem is there's not as many rounds as there used to be, no milk rounds either like the olden days.

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 11/09/2016 09:18

I quite often took ds on his paper round. I used to quite enjoy it. We used to yak about all sorts of stuff.

WhateverWillBe · 11/09/2016 09:18

Oh God I hated my paper round! I was 13 when I did it, used to walk for miles alone. I counted down the months until I was 13 which was the minimum age you had to be though...used to get about £15 a week which was a-ma-zing

YANBU though op - if mine wanted to get a paperround so be it, but no way would I be driving them round to do it!

TSSDNCOP · 11/09/2016 09:26

My mum used to follow me round although she drove an orange Austin Maxi at the time.

My parents were proud I had a job, I got pocket money but I was always a child that wanted records and make up so it was necessary to get a job to fund these.

My mum, whilst being dead chuffed I had the gumption to get a job couldn't relax at home knowing I was out and about early in the morning, and to be fair those Sunday supplements weigh a tonne.

So she followed me round, and I suspect that's what this kids parents are doing except they can afford nicer cars. Commendable that despite seemingly being alright for cash the kids got a job though.

Olympiathequeen · 11/09/2016 09:28

Haha! Total helicopter parenting

Wouldn't want little Johnny to get tired legs!

Blackberryandapplejam · 11/09/2016 09:29

Our free papers are delivered by an adult. Woman who is a massive gossip and makes a lot of trouble for people locally. A lot of houses have stopped their papers being delivered because of her.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 11/09/2016 09:39

honestly have no ide Pinky but it does seem to be more common for adults to do them than children around where I live. It always baffles me as even the worst minimum wage job would pay substantially more than a paper round

Lots of adults do them for many reason, and no it often does not work out as being less than minimum wage when you compare the end of week wages by the minutes worked (at least around here ) .

And fwiw one of my kids has a paper round and he gets driven round it in a sports car by his carer because he's not safe to be out by himself and he cannot ride a bike.

CodyKing · 11/09/2016 09:45

my eldest has a part time job but it pays a lot more than a paper round and he's building on useful skills that he's learnt through his hobbies

That's great! I'll tell my kids not to bother with work experience or low paid jobs - perhaps they'd be better off on benefits?

Or we could appreciate the hard work done every morning or evening by these kids earning their own money by what ever means?

Plant my of parents support their kids - this is no different

VioletBam · 11/09/2016 09:51

My DD's mate does hers aged 12 on a bike with a cart thing attached. She does it through the whole village before school once a week.

Her job is coveted. There are about 20 12 year olds waiting in the wings for her to cock it up ONCE and then they'll be in....nobody will drive them. These kids are tough as old boots and half of them work on their parent's farms and vineyards in season. It's Australia....my poor little English DC are agog at the toughness of their mates.

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