Does your secondary school aged child have a part-time job?

[roisin]

What is it?
How many hours is it?
How did they get the job?
What age were they when they started?

I'd like ds1 to get a part-time job, but am not sure how to go about it. (He's 14 soon.)

At his age a paper round is probably the only option. My DS had them at that age but now (aged 16) has a job at a sweet shop. He does half an hour before school and half an hour afterwards during the week (earns £25 per week).He got the job when the previous worker left school and put in a word for him.

My dd1 used to have a saturday job, cleaning in the holdiay season fom easter to october, the holiday rents local to us. It was aorund 5 hours on a saturday which was change over day. I can't remember how much she got paid but it was ok wages and she leanrt to clean which was good Word of mouth was how she got the job.

dd and ds have daily paper round which takes 20 mins before school every weekday and about 45 mins - an hour on the weekend mornings (quicker as they get used to it)
They get £17.50 a week for it.
DS used to have one round before school and one after school for about a year when he was 13 - 14 but he got fed up with doing 2 rounds, and now just has the morning one. (He used to bring home about £30 a week - now thats good at age 13! )

dd did babysitting at 14
got proper supermarket job after gcses at 16

My dd1 had a part-time job in a charity shop for about 18 months. She didn't get paid, obviuosly, but her masterplan is to apply for a job at Top Shop as soon as she turns 16 (neatly coinciding with the end of GCSEs), reckoning that they'll give her priority because she has retail experience.

Other than that, she does babysitting, which pays quite well for what it is. She has occasionally done bits of work through friends, who in turn have mainly been working for their own family or acquaintances businesses.

Unless you know someone who runs a business and is prepared to take on a 14yo, there aren't that many options, tbh. His best bet is to get unpaid experience and then use that to get a proper job when he's a bit older.

My dc can't do paper rounds, unfortunately, cos they have to leave for school by about 7.30, which is when paper rounds happen.

My eldest five have all worked in the local National Trust tearoom since the easter of Year 9. This means one day (either 6 or 8 hours) a w/e and two or three 6 or 8 hour days through the holidays. It's helpful that it's only open March - end October. Seasonal work fits in well with schoolwork.

The boss knows that they have to cut down in the weeks prior to GCSE's and A levels. That's more flexible than a lot of employers.

The income has been really useful for all of them and universities seem to quite like that sort of work too.

What ever it is, make sure they are getting their breaks etc that they are entitled to under law. There are rules depending on age all the way up to 18.
Some employers will just see kids as cheap labour.

My dc leave the house for the paper shop at 6.45 which is 5 minutes away from home and are back by about 7.15 - so it may be a possibility if in school uniform when they leave?
Or if not there are afternoon paper rounds from a paper shop too, or the free paper once a week in the afterschool time - at least it is all out of the way in one go.

Thanks all, that's helpful.

DS1 is 16 and has been extremely lucky in bagging himself a job in a local shop just because he regularly buys things there and so when a vacancy arose, was asked to fill it.
He works a few hours Sat and Sun (personally would have prefered it to be just on day) and earns £4. something an hour.

A 14 year old will find it difficult to find many places that will take him, but good luck.

DS 15 has just earnt his first "wage". He did a week for DH employers doing some electronics. Thankfully he did us proud and there should be more work in holidays. He should have earnt £3.60 an hour but because he did a good job they up it to £4.
He may also be able to get a life saving job at local leisure centre or one attached to school when he is 16. He has done the bronze medallion but will have to do a course before he is properly qualified but can't do that until he is 16.

My DC all do or have done, a paper round. £16 per week for 7 days. They also all did a weekly paper round, but the paper folded. Elder DS 16 is now a football referee. He says that he'd prefer to work in a shop, but I don't think so. He gets £30 for reffing a match and £15 for doing the line.

Agree not so much scope for the under 16s. Ds did nothing before then but made up for it at 16 by getting 3 jobs: lifeguarding, occasional theatre ushering and marking kumon. (Frighteningly the lifeguarding, despite being easily the most responsible and needing the most qualifications, pays the least well by a large margin). While he only started the kumon marking at 16, his friend started at about 14, so that might be an option to explore for a younger child?

Hours: kumon 2hours per week, lifeguarding as many shifts as he signs up for (no fixed hours, but probably averages about 6+hrs per fortnight) and ushering about 3 hours occasionally (say average once a month?).

Oh, both mine volunteer at swimming club helping teach (since they were 14), but not too much scope for paid swim helping until you have L2 teachers qualification for which you have to be 17 (they have L1 and helpers qualifications).

Interesting ideas here. We live in a small village with no newsagent so paper round is out. DS1 is 15 and would like a job.
He's a whizz at maths - how did your DS get the Kumon work Snorkie?
Does anyone know how old they have to be to get part time work at the supermarkets / chains?

Re supermarkets inthesticks I know Tesco take on from age 16, but it really helps to have an existing staff member recommend them - it asks on the form if you know anyone who works there, and who it is.
Your DS could make up an A5 flyer and post it through the village letterboxes, advertising himself available for odd jobs, heavy digging, weeding etc - once he starts in a small village, hopefully the word of mouth advertising will help tremendously. My nephew who lives in a small village washed cars - his carwashing was so successful he invested his earnings into a karcher pressure washer, and so could do the cars quicker, and also drives and patios.

Also interested in the Kumon marking Snorkie

Tesco do take from 16, but only once they have past school leaving age - ie not until the June after they are 16 (at least that's what our Tesco does).

Ds was lucky with the kumon as the lady who runs it had an older ds at his school and knew ds a little through school, knew he was good at maths and asked him if he'd like to do it when one of the older markers left. But I should think most centres employ teenage markers, so an approach to your local one might yield success - although I suspect they tend to favour children who have been through the system so to speak when possible. Around now might be a good time to enquire though as youngsters move away in September.

Another one came up last night: page turning for his piano teacher at a concert, but I think many musicians who perform don't use music, and those that do almost certainly just ask a youngster they know, so that's probably not something you could solicit for. Several of ds's musical friends make some money playing in orchestras or ensembles (shortage instrument are good here - his bassoonist friend is very in demand) and some teach on their instrument too, which pays relatively highly. Obviously you need to be a pretty high standard for this though.