To expect my 16 yr old to get full time work for the summer?

[whatthewhatthewhat]

At least 8 weeks until they go back to school for A-Levels. I worked full time at that age. AIBU to think they should get a job for the summer?

YABU really. Jobs are not as easy to come by as you think. Especially full time seasonal ones. A few days a week might be possible. For you to insinuate, OP, that not working now might mean your DC ending up in a dead end job is a bit bloody rude though.

Part time work, fine. I worked on Sundays and 2 evenings a week waitressing at that age.

Full time is too much imo.

YABU. Though I do understand your point about developing a work ethic and getting a taste of how shitty a low paid job can be.

You are more than a little U to think that anyone would employ them full time for just 8 weeks.

My DCs all had summer work but we are in a place where they get just under three months off, so it's worth an employer's while to take the time to train them. There is also a good deal of seasonal work here (public pools, parks and rec, summer camps needing teens, and a culture where parents are happy to leave school age children in the care of virtually unknown teens during the summer recess).

Actually, come to think of it, my DCs all worked doing babysitting and weekend DIY help all year, not just in the summers. That is how they had the references that got them the summer jobs. We also had a contact who was happy to employ the oldest three in turn in an office doing filing and the coffee run and part time receptionist duty, plus the local parish employed teens for half the day on Saturday or Sunday, answering phones, photocopying, dealing with people complaining about the sermons, redirecting homeless people to the services available - lots of good experience.

I disagree with people who say it's fine to not work based on the idea that youth is a precious time. Teens gain immensely in the self esteem department from earning money, from learning a job, from having their own money to spend on whatever they want, and to give them a feeling of independence.

And without a few items on your CV it's hard to get a job once 'the rest of your life' starts. My DDs1 and 2 had several items on their CVs by the time they left high school and by their last year of university they both had a few more. They were hired on their career track jobs before they graduated.

Mine did. Not full time though. Both did part time and continued through 6th form. Then they both worked whilst at Uni. The reason was they wanted more money than their pocket money so both went and got jobs to get money.

Saying she is being unreasonable is the reason we have a bunch of imbeciles as teenagers. I have a restaurant and the kids that come in looking for jobs are mainly from middle class families, the parents that wouldn’t dream of asking their kids to work are not. We get sent teenagers for work experience and to be quite honest I don’t want them and they usually only last 2 days.
I’ve also had them from a local private school and they have been the best workers as they have been brought up to realise they have to work just like their parents do. I’ll probably get vilified for this but I speak as I find.

It will be almost impossible to find a full time job for just 6 weeks. They might try baby sitting if they are sensible and trustworthy as a lot of parents need childcare during holidays. Odd jobs like cutting grass etc if they advertise their services. If there is seasonal work near to where you live they might get lucky for part-time work. KFC, McDonald's always seem to be looking for staff. Don't give them a hard time if they can't find a job. Alternatively give them jobs to do at home and pay them for cutting grass, painting a room, childcare, cleaning etc to allow you to do more hours.

DS1 has got 6 weeks paid work doing telephone surveys over the summer. Not the most exciting of jobs but it pays well and he wants the money.

He finished his GCSEs last week and has had this week off. He also has 2 weeks off at the end of the summer and a week off at the end of July for our family holiday.

He wants to get some experience and some money, so is happy. He'll be working 9-5, 5 days a week.

My 17 year old has 3 months off this summer. He's splitting it between a holiday with his mates, visiting his dad (where he'll pick up some casual work for his dad's company), volunteering, and just some general downtime. I think exams are pretty stressful, and they do really need some time completely off, however a part time or voluntary job is also a good thing for their CV. So YABU to specify full time and the whole time, but not BU to suggest some kind of job.

16 is too young to work in my opinion. I started at 18 in a proper internship with a respectable company. 16 years old will end up doing the worst jobs that only teach them to keep their head down. Get a unpaid placement / work experience / charity work if you want to teach your child about the workplace. Something that will add to their CV and increase their earning potential in the future.

I would nt expect this of mine, they work hard for GCSEs, When the time comes I will be letting her have the summer off to chill with her friends.

I'll be aiming for my son to be chilling out between GCSEs and the start of A levels. The workload is massive compared to when I did my I levels, I think my son will have twice the number of exams to sit than I did. After A levels I'd encourage part-time work to save for university costs but this year summer should be for fun.

No i don't think you are at all. Cafe's will be taking on. I got my 1st job at 15, did me no harm.

My DS finished GCSEs last week but he only turns 16 at the start of August and so he has been turned down by every local business he has approached. He's decided instead to get fit and do C25K as revision has impacted his fitness.
Unless you have had DCs who have done GCSEs in the last couple of years you have NO idea how tough it is now. I did my GCSEs in the late 80s and they were joke exams. I helped my son with some maths stuff and I was embarrassed at how tough I found it despite having an A-level.
The sheer volume is huge and the pressure is incredible. Where getting the equivalent of an A (now grade 7) is seen as not good enough. Honestly, I wouldn't swap for anything. Give them a break. Explore the museums, discover art, run round the park, talk to friends, make new friends, learn to cook, read some books. Seriously, there is plenty time for them to spend their lives in crappy jobs in shit offices with people they dislike.
Apologies for slight OT rant but we need to champion childhood.

I think YABU. When I left school at 15 (because of the month of my birth), post O-levels, my Mum told me I wasn't "sitting around all summer" and told me I had to get a job. I did find one but it was a lot easier back then to do so and it was on the basis that I would work when they needed over the holidays and it would be a Saturday job when I started college. However, it was hard going not to be able to rest given I had worked so hard for my exams.

Currently I have my nearly 21 year old at home for the summer. She works weekends only, but has a very well paid job in London so earns a lot more than average. I do not expect her to work through the week. She is exhausted, she is doing a tough degree and has worked extremely hard this first year and had no weekend breaks because of her job. She is sleeping around 12 hours a night at the moment. She needs the break. It's fine by me. Her life will be tough enough as a graduate. She may of course want to do a few extra days during the summer but is under no pressure to do so.

What I didn't say in my post is that it's not unreasonable for her to get a part time/Saturday job...yes that will do her good and give her a bit of independence, but full time through the summer hols, no.

Take it you are hard up so forcing your kid to work.

Next thread from op will be that the kid needs to pay their way..

My DD has just left uni, nearly 21, has applied for 22 jobs, heard NO from 2. She has work experience in retail and pubs but wants a job that will lead to a career now although is looking for anything just to get some money. My DS wants to do a particular career & a production company liked his cv but he needed to be 25 for the insurance. Isn't that ageism??? He is in an
industry that is heavily 'free lance'. When I was their age in the 70s you just got the local paper, phoned a few, got some interviews, got offered a job, did it for a while then when bored signed on for a week or two as a break, and got another job, and that was with only O levels!!! So easy then. Really feel for all young people now, let your DC have a bit of time off, maybe a bit of part time work, but they have to work till 70+ and their life expectancy is not that of our parents or us.

I’m really surprised by the number of people saying a 26 yr old would struggle to find full time work. Unemployment is at a record low and they are the least expensive form of labour.

I meant 16 yr old

Actually 2 of mine worked while studying One worked for a year in retail before uni. .One started a car cleaning round in about year 9 with a friend. No one wants 16 year olds where we are. I worked while studying (from 14) and it can help with jobs later on. Some part time work is good as there's nothing like having your own money!!

Amitskitshaw, unemployment is at an all time low because gig work is counted as employment. This includes drivers (needing a license), overnight shift work, people holding down several part time jobs, people who work low hours/on call (all needing transport at funny or irregular hours), dirty work (that maybe you wouldn't want your 16 yo to do and maybe they would have to buy their own protective footwear or clothing, not worth it for 8 weeks), fish and other food packing/canning, and seasonal work that is not available in all regions like farm work that tends to be run by gangers.

Availability and affordability of transport to and from a job is a huge barrier to work.

Teenagers working part time I think it is great BUT they also need to have holidays and time for things according to their age. It is just NORMAL. in my case my sons ate encouraged, not threaten, forced, demanded to find an odd day job or part time. We let them know that would make us very happy and that it is for their own good. What they earn is for them and those things that they suddenly "need". It should be a balance and I think it is important for them to understand WHY they have to do some sort of job and semi agree with it instead of feeling forced and pushed by parents

Absolutely the work experience will bode well for getting into a different school for sixth form & uni. Learn value of money. But not a lot will take 16 years old on. I live near Bluewater and Superdrug do as my dd got work there. So do kfc mothercare and Clark’s. Be prepared the interviews are ridiculous read up on website and expect group tasks etc. Competition is high. Honestly 6 interviews for Xmas job at house of Fraser. I kid you not. But all good life experience. and when you only get £6 an hour you soon question whether £3 Starbucks is worth it. Anyway it hard to get more than 4 hour shifts.

Sorry but most jobs only give you 4 hour shifts as too tight to pay breaks so surely 4 hours on a Saturday or Sunday will fit around studying