AIBU to encourage my daughter to get a part-time job while in sixth form?

[mumbunz24]

My daughter just started sixth form this September at a grammar school, and I’ve noticed that not many of her classmates seem to have part-time jobs.
I’m wondering if it’s a good idea to nudge her towards getting some work experience, or if that might interfere with her studies. I know balancing A-levels can be tough, but I also believe that part-time work can teach valuable skills and responsibility.
AIBU to think she should consider a part-time job, or should I let her focus solely on her studies?

I'd let her concentrate on her studies and then start a job in the long holiday between college and uni.

I don't think that it's worth jeopardising the last lot of free education that you'll ever get.

We left DC to decide. They get an allowance in return for jobs round the house, and it's up to them if they want to supplement it. DS1 had 2 jobs, he focused on jobs that were hard/boring as they paid the most. DD has chosen a job with better hours and linked with her studies, the pay is less but she really e joys the work. DS2 doesn't go out much and is happy with just the allowance for now.

Also my DDs did some music and maths tuition for younger children.

Definitely. She would've done work experience wouldn't she in year 10/11? Could she go back to one of the places where she did that?
Retail, fast food, waitressing, marketing, call centres. Theres loads of part time work out there for students.
Lots of my mates worked in McDonalds and Argos or HMV back in the day. There's probably 'cooler' places for teens to work now but it should definitely be encouraged.

I was very shy and a part time job gave me the confidence to move abroad when I turned 18. It was the best thing for me. It definitely impacted my studies though

My DD is in year 12 and works in a pub. It's going well so far because she only does one regular shift a week, 5 hours on a Friday night (plus a few extra shifts in the holidays when she has more time). She probably wouldn't be doing homework anyway on a Friday night, so I don't think it's affecting her studies, and she's getting the benefits of work experience and earning a bit of money. However, if I felt it was affecting her grades I'd encourage her to stop. Her friends are a mixture - some have a job and some don't.

My DS on the other hand didn't work until he was 18 and had finished school (he's at uni now). He then got two jobs in the long summer break between school and uni and worked really hard to earn money for uni.

So I don't think there's a right and wrong answer. Either approach can be ok.

Both ds worked from 15, however ds17 is now not working until his A Levels are done. He plays a lot of sport and just needed a break. He will work again next summer. We are helping him out with petrol money etc so that he does not worry.

I'd let her decide but I wouldn't force a decision either way.

No, but yes to summer jobs or internships. When I was at university my German tutor always used to opine what a shame it is that kids work before they're fully qualified in the UK. Far more valuable to form the basis of a career first.

I wouldn’t. My son has just finished sixth form and initially I supported him getting a job and said I thought he should apply here and there. He did one interview in the end and didn’t get the job and never tried for any more. He said initially he thought he’d be fine to have a PT job then as 6th form went on he said he actually really needed to study and his down time was precious and he wanted to concentrate on having a good balance which with the volume of work he had to do for school, wouldn’t be achieved with a job. I agreed with him. It’s ultimately his choice and he knows his work load best. My husband and I support him not to pt work and agree we would rather he concentrated on his A levels. It was worth it. He’s now taking a year out before university and working during that year.

My daughter works 8 hours a week. She is sitting 4 (mostly STEM) A levels and is predicted 4 A* (has one in hand taken a year early). She does have to very carefully manage her time but she loves her job and is 100% committed to her studies.

It has vastly improved her life experience and has taught her how to manage money.

She treats college as a full time job and then has weekends for work and fun. It can be done!!! I hope it will give her a leg up at some point in the future when she can demonstrate that she can deal with all sorts of different people and keep a calm head on her.

Luckily I didn't need to encourage DD1 too much, she wanted to earn her own money. It fell lucky for her as she turned 16 just as things started to pick up after lockdown and there were lots of hospitality jobs. It's great as she works for a national chain and it turned out she could transfer to the university branch so she has a job there too, and a lot of students find it hard to get jobs. DD2 is keen to get a job asap after she turns 16 too. It also helps that she has some friends in the year above who already have jobs.

I worked in pub from 17 (was old in the school year). While sometimes it no doubt did encroach on A-Level studies it helped me be more organised and use my time more effectively. And also I really needed to have my own money, my parents couldn't afford to give me much pocket money. I even saved up and went on holiday with my friends before we went to university.

my son has two jobs. He’s learning skills such as reception duties, accountancy software, dealing with payments. He’s also improved many of their systems too. The other is a not for profit so learning about that is also good experience. His Cv looks amazing and he’s ready to snag the opportunity of a lifetime on an industry he wants to work in. His friends are lovely but never had to work. You can see the difference in skills and abilities.

I went to a grammar school and worked part time from 16. The work did not affect my grades.

Also to add, she has used some of her wages to visit friends overseas- something we couldn’t have paid for. She has turned herself into an intrepid little thing and is so proud that she’s paid for it herself! All brilliant life lessons.

I absolutely disagree unless the family can't afford to give her some pocket money. I think that 6th formers should be working hard but also doing sport and performing and music and volunteering rather than taking a minimum wage job that would be better going to someone who really needs it. As I said-all bets are off if there's no spare money in the family.

Is there a particular reason why you have gone down the they / them route in your post, when OP has clearly stated she has a daughter and refers to her as she / her?

Same here.

Depends on the course, my son is at college full time and Any spare time he has, is for studying and his downtime. There is plenty of time to get a job once they have finished college.

Mine has worked since he was 16. He excelled at school and is now studying at RG university so it certainly hasn’t impacted his studies.

Apparently only 5% of school kids got proper work experience at school.

I’m a bit bias(?) the other way because I was forced into a getting a job as soon as I started college, met boys and friends there and got so distracted with my new social life that college didn’t work out.

I wasn’t the only one who dropped out to just work as that was an easier option at the time. I’ve seen some of DS’s friends make the same choice.

I wish there were summer jobs they could pick up and put back down again because that’s when a job is exactly what they need. College summers are long!

Mine all had part time jobs through 6th form... one went into Medicine and the other into Nursing and they both continued through university (trickier for DD2 nursing because of placements but she still managed zero hours contract at Fatface and would go back to the 'home' store to work in the holidays.

It did them both good, they gained people skills, had extra money and a strong work ethic. DS1 didn't go to Uni but worked all through 6th form and onto other jobs.
My parents didn't allow me to work and I resented it!

They do need it. Both the money and the experience, as young people. It's not taking a job from someone else who is somehow more worthy of it! What a strange attitude. While we both earn a very good salaries I wouldn't have been able to pay for everything DD1 wanted aged 16-18 and neither would she have begun to spread her wings ready for university if she had not worked, had her own money, learned to drive etc.

For DD2 the work will be even more important as she is not academic and may well not go to university, or may go via a BTEC/foundation course route or go a bit later or as a mature student. It's vital for her to get some experience as she may not get so many qualifications.

I've noticed the same thing locally too with regards to private school children (rarely having a PT job) and comprehensive children (virtually everyone had one).

I'm not sure it is related to studies. Realistically no sixth form student spends every spare minute studying, and there is equally a ceiling on how much extra study can improve grades.

I think it also depends on how much other "stuff" the DC does. At sixth form my DC and their peers basically divided their time between study, work and socialising (generally just weekends, and curtailed around exam/assessment times). If you had a DC that was very heavily involved in music or sport, for example, I could see that work might be the thing that went.

The rule of thumb we were given was that it was 4 hours study in school per A Level and 4 hours of private study (per week). Even taking 3 A Levels and an EPQ (or 4 A Levels) that only equates to 32 hours a week, leaving plenty of time for job/sport/music/more study.