Teenage "Saturday jobs" - did you have one? What do you think?

[Bink]

Last night some friends asked us whether, if, as a teenager, dd is asked to model, we would let her do it. Trying to be sensible (instead of kneejerk & negative) about this, I thought I wouldn't ... reason being that it's so hard anyway to keep your perspective & feet on the ground as a teenager that you would have to be a very extraordinarily grounded child not to be in some way muddled up by that world.

It made me realise though that I have a principle for teenage jobs - that they should have a definite purpose (other than earning) - they should in fact put your feet more firmly on the ground - give you a sense of wider, but realistic, horizons.

My job was in a local fishmonger, and it taught me about micro-commerce (tiny profits adding up) and (especially) about elderly people's budgeting. As well as smoked mackerel. (Though I always wish I'd held out for a job in a bookshop.)

I'm interested: what did other people do? What sort of things did you learn from it? Given that I've ruled out modelling for dd [please insert "ooh Get Her" in your head there], what do you think would be a good Saturday job nowadays?

Paper rounds at 12, paper rounds and chambermaiding at 13, paper rounds, chambermaiding and washing up in restaurants at 14, paper rounds, chambermaiding, washing up in restaurants, avon round, selling cockles in holiday camp at 15, waitressing and hotel reception work and still the cockles at 16 and 17... (and I did it all whilst dreaming of living in't cardboard box in't middle of road)

It did mean that by the time I got to Uni, I had my own car, money to burn, and a very healthy attitude that hard work will always get you where you want to be.

i worked in a shoe shop from 16-18
i got £20 per saturday and bought my first tv for my bedroom
then when i was 17 i used my £20 for 2 driving lessons per week

I worked in a newsagents when i was 16 I had to be there at 5 every morning to mrk up the papers

The boss used to disappear at every chance she could and used me basically I would look after the shop for 8 hours on my own with no break but I earnt money so that was good side but cant remember how much

it did teach me things like not to complain about school because work was so much harder!!!!!!

I think 'just' earning is a definite purpose, and a laudable one at that age. Whatever job you end up doing at age 16 is going to teach you something. It might be about time-keeping, dressing and acting appropriately for that job, stock control, getting on with people, being a very junior person, working with people you don't like or have nothing in common with, how to manage the little money you do earn etc etc.

If nothing else, it might teach you that that's not what you want to be doing for the rest of your life, and to follow a path (e.g. education or training) that will give you more choices in life.

From what age can kids get a Saturday job now?

I worked in Manfield the shoe shop from when I was 15 to about 18. I loved it, especially the staff discount at sale time!!

We used to have a tranny come in every few weeks who tried on all the stilettos (the higher the better) and pretend he was trying them for his wife! (he fitted a ladies size 6)

Not really a fair comparison, because we're so different, but I worked from the age of 12 - babysitting 2-3 nights a week - moved on to "nannying" meanwhile Saturday job in dept.store.. worked throughout holidays etc (paid rent staying at my parents house during college holidays this still shocks me today!)......... but feel that I have ended up feeling more independent, more capable, and taking the odd risk (bought a house by myself etc etc).. whereas my DB had a short Saturday job during A levels, but otherwise was subbed by our parents til he was in his 20's. I'm convinced it's huge in the differences in our lives.

Sorry, bit garbled, but hope that makes sense.

Send them up chimneys, it's good for them!

When I was a 15 I had a few babysitting jobs. It taught me never to leave my own kids with a 15 year old

This is all marvellous, thank you all. I will be keeping this for reference in years to come ...

More please too?

I woked as a Saturday girl in a hairdressers, I worked on a marlet stall ('getchyeerrrrrr apples!' he he...ok, not really....it sold cheapo jewellery), I waitressed and I ( sharp intake of breath ) modelled in my mid-late teens. Every single job I had benefited me in some way. Responsibility breeds maturity.

should add - I got my first Saturday job at 14, and started modelling at 16 almost 17.

p.s. scooz typos

Message withdrawn

my dd is 15 and desperate for a sat job,she's finding that almost everywhere she has to wait until she's 16.
She babysits though.

I worked at the Dairy Queen (ice cream parlour in Canada) from age 14.
I also worked as a mother's help in the summer holidays.

I worked at a DIY Shop. I helped the regular assistant on the...paint mixing and specialist tile ordering department (huge scope for dreamy teenager nightmare cockups...) and had to answer the phone, "Do It All, how can I help you?"
It was an immensely valuable experience for me. I'd done youth theatre at weekends for much of my teenagerhood and you could say I'd led quite a sheltered existence - just mixing with other nice, arty, pretentious grammar school kids.
My co-workers at the shop came from all walks of life and I had to work at establishing a friendly relationship with some of them, who mimicked my accent and naivete etc.
I worked really hard for the first time in my life, made some friends outside my own previous small orbit, had my heart broken, broke someone else's, earned money I could spend on whatever I wanted, learned how to work a till, how to hold my drink, where to get the best dance music in SE London and above all had some of my corners knocked off me
From what others say, customer service type role is going to be more interesting and less tedious, I'd say.
I am of course going to give Saturday jobs at my library to both mine in due course

But joking apart, the most interesting p/t jobs come via word of mouth IMO. I spent a genuinely interesting summer sorting and filing a local commercial photographer's archive...going right back to plate glass. I got that through my ballet school, bizarrely.

I had two paper rounds and a saturday job in SPAR. I was so shy that I would be sick with fear every saturday morning but I stuck it out because I needed the money to keep my pony. I'd like to be able to say the job increased my confidence etc but I was still a nervous wreck when I got my first 'proper' job! The people I worked with were great though and I do have fond memories. What I did learn was how to juggle my time to get everything done. What with the paper rounds, saturday job, looking after my pony myself and fitting in homework for O and then A levels I had to be very disciplined and organised. This was invaluable in the big world of work and certainly impressed my various bosses as I was Miss efficient!

Tinker - your can work from 14 years old - but with very restricted hours, and must have permission from Headteacher (there is a form to fill in IIRC)
I'm sure someome will come alomg who knows the regulations better than I!

I worked in a bakers adn confectioners shop. I used to have to clean the loo and the boss always used to make sure she left it in a real mess just before I started. She once goosed me and I fell in a chiller cabinet in shock so I kicked her - left a massive bruise. She was having an affair with the area manager.

Hi Bink - Interesting thread. Just curious - were your friends posing the question hypothetically for a good discussion, or was it a question that came up as a result of your dd's beauty? (It won't seem like bragging if you say the latter.)

My Saturday jobs as a teenager (and lessons learned) were as follows:

1. Receptionist and typist of health/insurance forms for a GP in a very poor part of town. It was my first real 'behind the scenes' exposure to an office setting, and also gave me an in depth view of an entirely different socio-economic community to the one I knew.

2. Sales assistant in trendy clothing shop (employee discount came in handy when I wanted new clothes that I didn't really 'need', or when what I wanted was too frivolous to be deemed 'neccessary' by my parents). Helped me learn about positioning of new/old stock in shops, merchandising, how to sell to customers and how sales commissions work, how much clothes are marked up from what they actually cost to make, when/how shoplifters are most likely to strike and what shops do about it, etc.

3. Waitress - helped me learn to multi-task, deal with demanding (and sometimes unreasonable) customers, work under pressure. Also taught me to never send food back to the kitchen unless absolutely necessary! Did this job at college, and over summer/holiday breaks. The flexible schedule was good for a student, and tips were the most money I could earn in the shortest amount of time (much more lucrative than the minimum wage jobs typically offered to younger employees).

Fwiw, I also would not encourage the idea of dd modeling for many of the reasons you list. Would add to the list of professional paths 'likely to cause personal problems': actor, musician (not classical), popstars. Having worked professionally with those sorts for 20 years, I can tell you that they are often damaged, unhappy individuals who are generally not made happier by success. For all sorts of reasons, it also is very difficult for them to make the adjustment to not being 'hot' and/or in-demand anymore.

From waitressing, I learnt how to open a bottle of wine and cope with sexual harrassment (thankfully the climate has changed so I hope it wouldn't be as bad today).

From working in factory, I learnt to be bloody grateful I was being educated and had a chance NOT to work in factory except in the holidays. And that dripping is a sandwich filling.

From selling double glazing, I learnt how not to resign (it was so bloody awful I lasted one day, phoned them the next and said I'd broken my leg).

I started on a paper round, worked at Morrisons (for £2.44 an hour!), waitressed at a coffee shop, worked in a petrol station. Not all at the same time, mind.

What it taught me was that jobs were boring and they paid badly. I wish that my Mum had been kinder and said that she would give me money if I earned some, but that was not the case. I ended up flitting from job to job, not enjoying any of them.

I also did double glazing cold calling.

Lasted a day. It was hideous.

cleaned for an old lady!
world's worst cleaner, cant think what it taught me, except the lady was fat smoked and was wheezy and seemed to ahve a very tidy house anyway.
i was terrified i woudl hve to cook her scrambled eggs.

paper round. teaches you to get up early.
check out, teaches you some people are very bad tempered on a friday evening!

oh and chicken factory, taught me to study at college and LEAVE