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Original poster

"Mum how can I possibly fit in a part time job ....

204 replies

BigSandyBalls2015 · 16/10/2016 12:23

...... you do realise I'm in year 11 don't you, under enormous stress, with sooooo much revision to do".

Said my DD last night, with a completely straight face, after spending the entire day lying on the sofa under a blanket with her phone, before heading to a mates to get ready for a party ShockHmm

OP posts:
bruffin · 16/10/2016 15:07

I don't think I know of any Year 11s (I teach them) that have a part time job. Most places won't take on someone under 16 anyway and if they do, they certainly won't take them on for just saturdays and sundays.

Both my dc were 16 in september of yr 11. DS and his friend both had a job as lifeguards (he passed his NPLQ autumn half term in yr 11), he also worked for Comet for a few months leading up to christmas in yr 11, after school during the week and on saturdays and sundays (but not everyday obviously)
DD had been voluntering on a Saturday at a sn club since she was 12, and became paid staff once she turned 18 for the same hours as she did volunteering.

pregnantat50 · 16/10/2016 15:11

i sort of agree but only sort of...

My son had 2 jobs when he was in 6th form, and his results could have been better (he chose to work as well, no pressure)...then at Uni he was a team leader in a local bar/restaurant in Oxford and he ended up leaving uni as he didnt manage to juggle his work and his studying. I didnt pressure him to get a job but he struggled financially at Uni...having said that he has an excellent career now. I do think working and studying are a hard balance for students.

pregnantat50 · 16/10/2016 15:13

sorry just realised you DD is in year 11 :) better to hold off getting a job until after her exams

lljkk · 16/10/2016 15:15

DS1 couldn't get a job because he was too busy (playing computer games), &
had already tried very hard (emailed 3 places).

DD can't b/c she has rehearsals (school shows... and she likes to potter & sleep in until weird hours).

Unicorncatsack · 16/10/2016 15:15

tartan

Loads in retail!

tartanpjsandtea · 16/10/2016 15:16

Seriously, can you link to some retail jobs advertised that only want 16 year olds for four hours a week?

LittleLionMansMummy · 16/10/2016 15:18

My 16yo dsd posted this the other day. I resisted the urge to reply 'try doing all of this and raising children!' I'm with you op, if something has to 'give' then it should be the late nights and partying. It's perfectly possible to get exam results and have a small job. I did and almost all my friends did. We still even had time for socialising. It teaches them time management.

"Mum how can I possibly fit in a part time job ....
myusernamewastaken · 16/10/2016 15:23

My son is at sixth form and he works...he runs a car..has a girlfriend and a very healthy social life....as a single parent i simply cannot afford to run his car etc as well as my own.

Flingmoo · 16/10/2016 15:25

I didn't think many big employers hire kids still in compulsory education? I certainly had to wait til just after finishing GCSEs but then again I didn't turn 16 until the May.

I agree that's a rubbish excuse though. I didn't want a part time job but my parents made me and now I'm glad they did. My friends whose parents sheltered their kids from the reality of having to go out and get a part time job as teenagers are the same friends who now have degrees but struggle to get a good job due to lack of experience... And if I had still managed to get a good job after uni without having worked part time as a teenager, I'd still be glad I did it, as I now work in a fairly cushty office job and I think having worked in crappy retail jobs has given me some grounding of what the reality of work is for most people in this country. I think it's good for people to experience 'clocking in and out' type jobs at least once in their life...

Meadows76 · 16/10/2016 15:27

That's an excuse IMO, there's no reason why all teens (SN aside) can't manage both how is it an excuse? SOME teens will achieve what you did while holding down a job, some will require to try much harder and some never will achieve that. It's about academic ability, what part of that do you find to be an excuse?

Unicorncatsack · 16/10/2016 15:28

tartan

No as most advertise in shop windows.

But schuh, topshop, new look to name a few

Some are 4 hours sat 4 hours sun which is doable imho

tartanpjsandtea · 16/10/2016 15:28

It might be doable, but would you like to never have a day off? :)

I've never seen these ads but will take your word for it!

Unicorncatsack · 16/10/2016 15:29

Well, I did exactly that when I was a teen and I seem to have turned out OK!

lljkk · 16/10/2016 15:30

My little town, all the little shops keep closing down. Even the ruddy charity shops have started shutting down. DD did ask about a Saturday job at every single cafe (no joy). One of the 3 supermarkets does hire teens, fair enough. Around here, the adults do paper rounds.

daisypond · 16/10/2016 15:30

tartan - When my 16-year-old DD got her 5-hours-on-a-Saturday job it wasn't on a website. She'd gone into the shop (national department store) and they just had a sign by the till saying about vacancies. And the next day after school when she handed her CV in, another assistant on another concession in the same department store saw and asked for a CV too, because they were hiring as well. Where I Iive, loads of restaurants, shops, hairdresser's, cafes, etc, have signs in the windows saying they have vacancies, so it's easy to get a part-time job. Even if they don't have signs up, it's worth just going in and asking. I appreciate it may be different in other parts of the country, though.

tartanpjsandtea · 16/10/2016 15:33

I think it frequently does differ from one place to another.

I'm not saying it's impossible to get a PT job or that getting one shouldn't be encouraged, but I do think badgering teens for NOT having one (not saying anyone is, by the way; I'm thinking of my own memories) is unfair, as they aren't always easy to get and combine with studies and they aren't always practical.

Fredmitten · 16/10/2016 15:34

Another here who took GCSEs, a levels and my degree in mid/late 90's and worked throughout - paper rounds, shop work, waitressing and in pubs, as well as office temping when older.

Generally, I think the benefit of some type of part time work outweighs the marginal gains in grades that studying for those 4 hours (for example) would make.

As others have said, you gain independence and responsibility and have to make decisions about your priorities - do you go to that party on a Saturday if you've spent the afternoon at work, or do you spend more time on coursework. As adults we do this all of the time and it's a valuable skill.

bruffin · 16/10/2016 15:34

tartan
None of the jobs ds had were advertised,. They are 0 hours job and he could do the shifts he wants ie 1 6hr shift a week.

NickiFury · 16/10/2016 15:35

My friends year 11 DS got a part time job. He started earning so much money that he lost all interest in studying, just couldn't see the point, did no work at all and failed all his exams. I think it's risky to make them get jobs at that age to be honest. Sometimes they can only see the here and now and with a good anount of money coming in some might think "why I am bothering?" I think it's quite natural to feel that way too, they're still kids who are not worrying about the future.

MrsGwyn · 16/10/2016 15:36

First job I got was as soon as my GCSE exams were over - it was just the summer and I worked ever summer till I started work full time work after I'd finished studying.

I think it depends - if it mean failing to get passing grades at GCSE then no a job isn't a good idea - as it really impacts on the future and re-takes passing grades aren't great.

I'd probably crack the whip on getting school work done - but mine are used to doing extra support stuff.

As to have easy it's to get jobs just sat or Sunday or evening - really depends where you are - and possibly who you know which is going to vary.

So I wouldn't be looking for mine to be working in yr 11 - but again I would be wanting more than lazy about on arse all day - either study, house work or extra curriculum stuff.

Dozer · 16/10/2016 15:38

I worked in retail and catering from 14-18 at weekends and in holidays, and was often treated badly, eg expected to work full time in holidays or threatened with the sack. Didn't enjoy it at all. Taught me a lot though, and gave me motivation to work towards a better job.

I would prefer my DC not to do jobs like that.

Dozer · 16/10/2016 15:41

My friend did a typing / switchboard qualification and got miles better jobs temping in offices. We were all Envy

BarbaraofSeville · 16/10/2016 15:43

Round here adults do paper rounds because no teens will do them.

I worked in a national sandwich shop/bakery for 6 hours a week between the ages of 15 and 18, when I got a full time job.

I did my degree part time on day release, so 5 years instead of 3, but also worked 30 hours a week for my employer at the same time and run my own household.

Re - pressure on teens and increasing expectations. If this generation of teens have harder/more intensive study and exam requirements, always seem to get a string of A*s and first class degrees and aren't generally expected to work 'in case it affects their studies', how come half of them are incapable of writing in correct English, fill an application form in correctly or follow basic instructions when applying for entry level graduate posts?

MargaretCavendish · 16/10/2016 15:48

My 16yo dsd posted this the other day. I resisted the urge to reply 'try doing all of this and raising children!'

Erm, do you want your 16yo step son to be raising children?! God forbid a 16 year old have anything else than a full 'adult' amount of responsibility and stress...

Maybe it does vary across the country, but where I live part-time/ zero hours retail jobs attract plenty of applications from adults who can work as required, so I don't think employers are falling over themselves to offer work to teenagers willing to work six hours a week, weekends only.

MrsGwyn · 16/10/2016 15:49

My friend did a typing / switchboard qualification and got miles better jobs temping in offices. We were all envy

Friend I met from at University did similar - got paid more and had a whole slew of jobs that looked impressive to put on her CV.

I got factory, warehouse and waitress for minimum wage then did free voluntary work to get relevant work on my CV so it looked more impressive.

Something I'll have to suggest when mine are older.

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