To think more teenagers could be more like this?

[PassingStranger]

In our área we have 2 young lasds who are providing a service . They don't go inside people's homes, they are outside. They travel around on bikes with all their equipment.
They are earning their own money and working too.
Parents must be so proud.
AiBU to think mote teenagers could be like this in the holidays and weekends etc.
So much better than saying your bored and asking for money all the time from your parents.
A great story about teenagers. Some good press.

👏

What service is it? Car washing, window washing?

Sounds like some kids near me. I think they call it County lines?

I think plenty of teenagers used to do this, until more and more people began to want professionals with qualifications and insurance to do their dog walking / cat feeding / lawn mowing / weeding / window cleaning and things like hand car washes and shopping delivery services proliferated.

Loads of kids I know do this, it isn’t a new thing.

I've noticed on local FB groups that any proactive teenagers asking to do jobs for people, like dog walking, shopping for elderly and baby sitting are immediately asked if they are licenced by the council/DBS checked etc and shut down. I feel like people were a lot more trusting when I was a teenager which was a fair while ago! Probably because communities aren't as close anymore maybe so people don't necessarily know people's kids on a personal level anymore.

Lol. I was thinking the same.

OP, do they all wear grey tracksuits with a little man bag across the shoulders? Work uniform of choice round my manor; sometimes they go rogue and wear a north face puffa jacket even though it's the middle of summer.

Haha same! Ours have a lovely selection of balaclavas.

How negativo, there's always one as you say.

Weird. Can't you possibly accept that not all teenagers cause trouble.
Are you envious?

They sound great

I think that generally teenagers are pretty enterprising. Mine are early 20's now but they didn't sit around saying they were bored and ask for money and I their friends didn't behave like that either. Sorry to moan at you OP, but why the teenager bashing?

Excellent. Yes it's better than sitting on your lazy arse playing on the X box or hanging round street corners causing trouble.
Great to see positivity.

Both my sons worked on the local milk round from 14. I couldn't get them up on a morning if their bed was on fire but they would get up at 3am if someone was paying them £30!

They are now in their early 20s & very hard workers who understand that money is earned. My17 yo DDs got weekend jobs on leaving high school and continue them while going to college all week. Earning their own money is a very important lesson in life & while I don't think shoving 5 yo up a chimney is right I do think older teens should be given work opportunities & encouraged to find work.

Yes, there are a couple of lads in my area that do car washing and patio cleaning. They obviously take great care with the car cleaning but I would be concerned if they accidentally damaged or scratched a car (perhaps by using the wrong product) as they won't be insured or someone takes advantage by claiming they have done. Someone was really pleased with the patio they cleaned cue loads of comments about children handling chemicals. I think we live in such litigious times now and people are demanding and sometimes not polite that I am not surprised that there is less of this enterprise than there used to be.

You've been deliberately evasive about what they actually do, so you shouldn't be surprised when people read between the lines.

Generally teenagers work round here. It's a tourist area.

I don't know any who are bored and ask parents for money. So I think YABU for saying 'more could be like this'. Most are, to be honest. I've had 4 teens and they and all their friends all worked. I don't know any who didn't.

Nope - realistic about the likely lines of work.

if you think it’s not immensely popular with teens (especially those who can’t afford whatever ‘equipment’ yours have; or who have been warned off forcefully from existing eg window cleaners whose family income they’re reducing), then you are being hopelessly rose-tinted.

And your OP described dealer delivery service to a T. Are you really so naive that you don’t see that?

Why would OP be full of praise for teens selling drugs? lol. These threads always attract odd responses.

Anyway, YANBU OP - sounds great. Loads of teens round here work as we live in a touristy area.

Because they’re providing a service, developing their work ethic and getting off their backsides and earning in a cash based business that pays well.

Thats really attractive in some areas

Better than buying a suckers list and trying to flog over-priced tea towels

I don't need to say what it is, I said outdoor use your brain.

My point was how enterprising.

Delightful. If every teen was doing it, there would be no business opportunities at all.

I've not seen any tbh.

My oldest kids didn't work til they were 17, youngest is 15 and not working.

They never moan/moaned they were bored in the holidays, they were too busy enjoying themselves.

I don't see any issue if these kids want to work but I'm still proud of my kids that haven't done this. They all worked hard at school all year, do stuff around the house, walk the dogs etc but it's nice for them to have a break.

I remember years ago, we lived near to someone who thought my son should cut her grass for £2, and feed her cat twice a day for 2 weeks for £5. No thanks. As long as they're getting a fair wage and are willing, then no issue.

These are changing a fair wage for themselves. They've made themselves a nifty little Facebook Page with pics and prices.

My neighbourhood Facebook page is full of people posting about their kids doing this.