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?

OP YABU!

I’m a recent graduate (luckily with a good job) but at least 50% of my graduating year- (in their early 20’s with 1st, 2:1 or 2:2 degrees) can’t find jobs!

One of my best friends recently ‘gave up’ and ‘reduced’ herself to signing up for temp work - NOTHING and that was weeks ago.

I’m sorry but what full time work are you expecting a 16 yo with no official qualifications (guessing waiting for GCSE back) and little to no work experience to get?

It baffles me how out of touch some parents are. Why don’t you go with your DC to the temp agency and ask them realistically what the options are? That way they can laugh in YOUR face rather than your DC 😂 and hopefully that’ll mean you don’t blame DC when they fail to find full time work.

The move to keep children in education till 18 has really changed employers views of age, employing 16 yo in FT work is now the equivalent of employing 14 yo 10 years ago!

YABU to push her to find work if she's just finished CGSEs

Mine wanted to look for work, but seeing how exhausted & mentally fragile she is, we asked her not to & have given her a bit extra pocket money for the summer so she feels less need- I suspect it would be very hard to find full time work here at that age anyway, friends kids who looked for full time work with. The intention of dropping out of education took until the christmas period to find even cafe work.

We're a university town, so any work is snapped up/given to over 18s who also want the part time work

She's worked incredibly hard for her GCSEs & needs a break. She'll supplement her pocket money with a bit of babysitting or manage without And I'm glad that she's now decided against a huge festival some 3,1/2 hours away as she can't afford it

How about volunteering? Good experience, looks good on a cv and character building.

& Max has it spot on, nothing entitled about mine at all either

Over summer there are lots of part time shop work to cover full time staff holidays. My daughter worked Saturdays and holidays since 16.

That's how we end up with so many entitled kids who don't value money

Do you actually have teenage children. I ask because the people who spout that kind of crap usually don't. If you are in your 30s then my generation said that about you too. If you are in your 60s or over and your children are adults then times have changed. It may have been quite easy to get a job 20 or 30 years ago if you were 16 but it isn't now in many parts of the country.
As for don't they want money for "Holidays, activities, festivals, phones etc", my experience of 16 year olds is that they tend to be a lot more frugal. This is perhaps because they have to be as getting a job is not always easy but personally think that is a useful life skill in itself.

The move to keep children in education till 18 has really changed employers views of age, employing 16 yo in FT work is now the equivalent of employing 14 yo 10 years ago!

I think that is true. I have noticed that some large companies won't employ anyone "under school leaving age" which probably means 18. They don't have to employ younger people as plenty of adults are looking for jobs.

@Max73 Absolutely. Mine aren’t entitled and are all very gainfully employed as adults. They understand fully how to budget and save.

We support them because we enjoy doing so. I went into town yesterday to buy work shoes and office shirts for my daughter as she’s starting internship on Monday. It was lovely, lunch, pottering, chatting and enabling her to start out feeling good. It’s nice.
Our son is deployed and we send weekly parcels full of various presents - like a Christmas stocking but via the free enduring mail service for the armed forces. It’s not a burden to do it; it’s a pleasure. It helps him feel connected and cared about whilst on a tough job.

Full time!!! Very mean spirited, you’re only 16 once and they’ve just done GCSE’s. Far more pressure on teens and results than in your time. YABU, children deserve a long break after GCSE and A level and it’s the only time in their whole lives they’ll have that luxury and you want to take it away from them?

Still no OP, are we just discussing it amongst ourselves now then?!

Incidentally whrn I was looking for secondary employment during my PhD write up and main job search I worked 1 day in a 6 month period. It took me 6 months to find even a decent temp job.

Do all the people who say there's loads of jobs out there actually been jobseeking?

Its very different these days. I did dog walking from age 10, a weekly paper round from 12, had a Saturday job from 13 and did babysitting. I had 3 part time jobs from 16 that fitted around my full time college course. I quite enjoyed juggling it all with a busy social life.

However I didn’t have to do anything at home and my parents didn’t have much money so could afford only the basics. Earning my own money meant I could go out, buy stationary and books for college, nice clothes, make up and toiletries etc. I paid keep from 18 from my jobs even while still in education. My parents wouldn’t have charged it if they could have afforded to keep me. I think it did me good and never resented it but I knew the alternative was to not work and only get very basic provisions.

It’s harder for kids now. I think it’s not unreasonable to encourage a part time job, they might get more hours to cover colleagues annual leave and could keep the job through college. It helps with learning time keeping and organisation skills. I don’t think I’d push full time holiday work if there is no financial need though.

All the people who don't expect 16 year old to work at all.... don't your teens want money for things with their friends?

I don't understand the MN mentality that once your child hits a certain age, you're no longer responsible for providing for them. 16 year olds aren't adults - they're children in the eyes of the law and still need to be provided for by their parents!

I don't understand the MN mentality that once your child hits a certain age, you're no longer responsible for providing for them. 16 year olds aren't adults - they're children in the eyes of the law and still need to be provided for by their parents!

No one is talking about not providing a home and feeding their children. They'll still be get that. But if they want more money to do all the things they want to do like mine did they had to work to get it. Nothing the matter with that.

But if they want more money to do all the things they want to do like mine did they had to work to get it. Nothing the matter with that.

It depends what you want them to pay for. I've seen threads where parents will no longer by their children clothes or toiletries once they've gotten a part-time job. By all means children can get jobs to fund things like driving lessons or festival tickets, but the other costs (clothes etc.) are part of being a parent!

@adaline. My children wanted more money than I gave them for pocket money for going out and socialising. If they'd wanted fancy designer clothing they'd have had to buy that themselves. Other clothes were provided.

@ooooohbetty then I think that's fair enough - you provide X amount and they get a job if they want more than that :)

You are only a child once, then you are expected to work all the rest of your life. I think you are being too hard on your child. The very most I would be happy with my child working at that age in the summer holidays would be just a few hours a week. I wonder why you are seem such a hard parent?

I did 4 weeks but I really wouldn't make my kids. It's their last years of childhood let them enjoy themselves before joining the drudgery of life

I don't understand the MN mentality that once your child hits a certain age, you're no longer responsible for providing for them.

There is no such 'MN mentality' - and certainly not with the certain age being 16.

I don't understand the MN mentality that once your child hits a certain age, you're no longer responsible for providing for them.

Indeed @errol - from what I see on here the majority seem to feel it is sacrilege to suggest 21 year old might wash up a plate, let alone pay a fraction towards their upkeep.

from what I see on here the majority seem to feel it is sacrilege to suggest 21 year old might wash up a plate, let alone pay a fraction towards their upkeep.

Hopefully that was said in jest as that's also hyperbolic guff.
The majority generally take a boringly sensible 'happy medium' position.

My daughter isn't even doing the work experience through school because they can't find enough placements that will take them on, most of the ones doing it are through family connections. The school also expected us to pay for the privilege of a teacher visiting them on the placement too. She's currently looking for a weekend job but not having much luck, I don't mind though and would never expect her to work full time through the holidays.

I did 4 weeks but I really wouldn't make my kids. It's their last years of childhood let them enjoy themselves before joining the drudgery of life

Blimey! What was the point of having them if it's just "drudgery" after the age of 16?

I think yabu. They are only 16 once and will be forced into adulthood, working all the hours with alot of responsibility in no time. 16 is still a child in my eyes and they should have a carefree life for as long as possible. Fair enough to wprk one or two days per week but to expect them to work full time isnt on.