Probably - but people too lazy to cook their own christmas dinner are spoiling mine

[SheinIsShite]

My youngest DS is 16 and works in a pub kitchen. Dish washing, food prep, plating starters/dessert. He is contracted to do 8 hours a week which is usually OK. Obviously this time of year is busy and because he is not at school he has more shifts.

School finished on Friday, he worked Friday evening. And Saturday, and Sunday. Did an extra shift on Monday afternoon as they were short. Yesterday was rostered 11-6 but got home at 22.50 as they were so busy and needed to prep for the 700 covers they have booked today between 12 and 4.30pm. He starts again at 10am this morning, and although they have said he'll be done by 6.30 I don't believe that so he will more than likely miss our family meal.

So all of you paying £85 a head for Christmas lunch in a very standard chain pub, thanks for that.

Totally appreciate that some people have to work and we are all grateful to the police, fire, midwives etc. But going out for your Chrtistmas lunch is not essential.

DS has part-time job in hospitality during uni holidays, he requests to work on Christmas Day to get double pay!

He’s getting paid.
Presumably he chose this form of employment.

He was told months ago he'd have to do the shifts - just as everyone else was.

I won’t bother repeating what everyone else has said because they’ve got it covered.

I don’t think you’ve actually said how he feels about this?

But when I was 16 I did one shift a week pot washing in a pub and picked up extra shifts when I was off school. It is a shame to miss out on Christmas but you don’t have much opportunity to make a bit of money when you’re that age and at school. I still remember the excitement, and pride, when that pay cheque came through and was quadruple what I usually got. It was sort of worth it. And you got the best tips! (And I could milk the sympathy when I got home for a being a hero working over Christmas….)

I do get you’re disappointed he’s not there for the dinner but I think you should reframe it and be really proud of him, he’s only 16 and obviously works very hard and is good enough at his job. Cheer him on and make sure there’s Christmas celebrations left to do when he’s back.

I agree - it's a ridiculous post.

My daughter worked in hospitality last year. She came home from university and worked all over Christmas including Christmas Day.

Just as she had done for the previous two years. She also missed the family get-together we had and going to her uncle's for the day.

She enjoyed her job, the tips were great and, whilst we were all slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be with us, it wasn't a big deal. Most of them wanted to work Christmas day because of the overtime.

It baffles me how some people manage to get so upset over a single day.

I will be going out for an expensive Christmas lunch later. I will think of your post when I sit down, and snigger. It isn’t a job that is compulsory, nobody is making him do it.

Happy Christmas.

I just wanted to thank you. I’ve been stuck in hospital for Christmas before and I’m so, so grateful for the nurses who tried their very hardest to make it as festive as possible. I actually felt more spirit of Christmas that year - people trying to be kind and support each other when we were all stuck in the hospital together.

OK. So you've all known since August.

Thank you, OP. You have given me and our breakfast guests a good chuckle with this thread!

He's being paid isn't he, probably double time and getting tips?
I suspect if he wasn't being paid he wouldn't feel pressurised into saying yes!
If you really feel that strongly about it, let him stay at home and give him the money instead!

They are two different types of trade thats why!

Well said!

If he worked retail he’d be working a lot this week too just fyi op - yes he wouldn’t work Xmas day but he’d be covering Christmas shopping and Boxing Day sales!

It’s a bit bonkers, OP. If it’s such a big deal, why didn’t you suggest he quits and pay him instead?

My son’s gf is back from uni for Christmas and delighted to have picked up a shift today in the pub she works in. Double pay!

Her family are going to have their dinner once she finishes.

But you chose to live rurally where his options are very limited!!

That's on you isn't it? and it could be argued that this was a selfish decision on your part. You are blaming people going for lunch on Christmas Day when actually, your decision to live in a rural, remote,place is the reason he doesn't have other options.

In the spirit of SheinIsShite’s
theory that people are just being lazy
You could argue that you didn’t need to work Christmas Day and people were just lazy for not looking after their aged relatives

I can remember when my DB was in the armed forces and was away for months in a conflict zone . . . my DP sat in front of the BBC news, desperately scanning the pictures of officers serving the "other ranks" their Christmas dinner, but they didn't get to see their DS. We had our Christmas dinner in May, when he came home on leave.

I know it's hard, OP, but you will have your DS home in between shifts. Many parents don't have that opportunity

If it wasnt for the trade they get over xmas/new year they would be at risk of going bust in the quiet months

This was nasty and uncalled for, grow up!

They might not need to go out for dinner but they should be able to if for whatever reason they don't want to cook.

You are being very unreasonable.

I'm sure your son is going to love his wages from this month, and tips.... Do you begrudge him that?
Of course I am assuming that he'll be paid for his overtime....

End result: money in his pocket, that's what teenagers want.
Back in the 70s when I was a kid growing up in a popular seaside resort, just about every school kid had a job, I started washing up at a hotel age 13.
Sure, there was probably a bit of exploitation going on but we weren't bothered, we worked hard and ended each week with money in iur pockets, which was exactly what we wanted 😉

I was a chef for many years. You'd have to be a special type of stupid to work in hospitality and not realise there's a good chance you'll be working today. Do you say the same on Mother's Day, Valentine's, etc.? I left catering when I got married. It's never been conducive to a decent family life.

700 covers?! The average restaurant is 50 covers - even with two sittings 700 is a stretch. Where does he work, a prison?

Your son probably would rather be at work than spend Christmas dinner with his moaning self-absorbed mother?!
merry Christmas!

Mortified for you. He'd be unemployed if people didn't patronise the establishment. Get a grip.