To ask how old your DC were when they got their first job?

[HighlandCow78]

I’m curious as to how how old were your DC when they got their first job - Judging by DD’s peers and friends’ DC kids seem to be waiting until they are far older nowadays to get one, most seem to wait until after A levels meanwhile I was doing a paper round at 14!

DD is 20 and has only just landed her first part time role. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy for her - she did well in competitive interviews and now has an exciting role at a lovely local business which she’s really looking toward to, but I definitely expected her to get one far earlier. Granted, she turned 16 during lockdown (so no jobs really about) and went through a tough few years due to ill health but even without these struggles she really isn’t the odd one out amongst her peers. It seems quite common for young adults to graduate these days having never done any paid work - just volunteering and internships.

What has changed so much that this is now the norm?!

Eldest dd was 14 started working in a cafe, then moved to Mcdonalds then TK Maxx and has worked throughout uni in a job to go with her course and youngest dd was 13 in a cafe and is still there. My son is 11. Not sure hel be working as young as his whole weekends are taken up by his sport.

Edited to add my eldest is the same age as yours.

My oldest started at 16 and had saved enough to buy his first car at 17 (£1400) he's just been promoted too

Dd1 14. DD2 15.

14 - cafe (3 hour shift on a Saturday)

My eldest 3 were involved in a sport so were working coaching at 15. My other child was 18 when they started. Both me and DH were 15 when we had part-time jobs.

16 for both my DS and DD

I’m in the U.S. so it may be different. DD got a summer job at a non-profit as a volunteer at 14. She was asked back to do a paid position for the summer when she was 15. We imagine she will keep that job each summer through high school. It’s very flexible and they don’t mind that she has weeks with other commitments as long as she is available most of the summer.

she doesn’t really work for the money. She is investing her earnings in a pension plan. We just think it is good for her to have a job for the experience.

most of her friends have jobs too. My colleagues in bigger cities say their teens are not as lucky. They don’t have young teens doing things like helping out in supermarkets anymore, but my area still operates a bit like it’s the 1980s.

16. Found it very hard to get work before his 16th.

That sounds absolutely fantastic - you’ve raised a very wise girl for her to be properly saving at such a young age!

DC1 was 13, did a paper round, every single day weekends and weekdays getting up at 6am for a year. He saved up for a PC and once he’d got it he stopped working! He is 16 now and doesn’t seem to want to get a Saturday job.

DC2 hasn’t shown any sign of wanting to do the same at 14.

It's really hard to find jobs for under 16s where I live. When there is a job it's so much competition! Even under 18s struggle

14&16

DD1 was 16, DD2 was 15 end of August and starts her first part time waitress job tomorrow and DS is 12 and desperate to work!!
I was 15 when I started working.

My sons had full-time jobs at 17 (a year at college) but had paper rounds at 14 and then Saturday or evening jobs at 16

I left school at 16, left on the Friday, started work the following Monday

28 year boy/girl twins here - my son started a part time job at H Samuel when he was just 16 and my daughter started at Sainsbury’s when she just turned 17. My son continued to work p/t through his studies but my daughter stopped after 8 months to concentrate on her A’levels but started again when she’d finished them and worked alongside university studies.

Both sons from age 14. Sticking up at skittles. On payroll as cleaners from 15. Age 16 at Costa.

To be honest it’s so rare where we are that I genuinely forgot that under 16s could work - I thought that the law had changed!

My son was just turned 16 and it did him so much good in terms of maturity. The job was wholly unglamorous- working the fryer in a seaside fish and chip shop- but he sort of landed on his feet with the owners, two fantastic lads who really took an interest in and encouraged him. I assume my daughter will be a similar age when she starts working. I wouldn't have it any other way. Teenagers are off school for 3 months in the Sumner in Ireland, there is no way I'd allow virtual adults to sit around all summer looking for me to fund their fun..

DD1 wanted to focus on studies so her first job was after A level Exams in May finished, up til she went away for uni. Then she picked it back up when home in the holidays.

DD2 much more into makeup and clothes, wanted to earn her own money and got a part time job when she was 16.

I do think that lockdown was a big part in why so many of DD’s year group are still yet to get jobs - at 16/17 their summers mainly consisted of sitting in parks with little else to do or spend money on due to restrictions at the time..

I was tutoring primary age kids in reading and arithmetic when I was 14, and also did a bit of babysitting. At 16 I worked every weekend in a restaurant. When I was 18 I added bar work. I loved having my own cash!

DS1 was 16 went straight into an apprenticeship from school. His GF started working at 15 and now at 17 has 3 jobs and goes to college.

DC1 lifeguard at 16 in y12
DC2 lifeguard at 18, after completing y13, but had 16th birthday in 2020 during lockdown

All three of them were 16/17.

All had some sort of job at 16.