Teen Wants to be Driven to Sat Job

[LaureaCareers]

How far would you agree to drive to take your 13/14 yr old to a Saturday job lasting 3-4 hours? I have two gorgeous stepsons and we have a great relationship. One of them has announced that he's learning to timekeep for rollerhockey (this is their chosen hobby) so that he can earn some extra money. It's really enterprising and that should def be encouraged. However, the venue for half the games is a 170 mile round trip. What would you do?

I'd tell him to pay for his own train ticket out of the money he earned or get a lift with someone already going.

I wouldn't give up half a day to take him and wait and then drive him back!

Wow - that is a long way. Not sure what I would do

If you get on well, all sit down and actually discuss the economics of this. Presumably he hasn't twigged that the petrol costs will probably wipe out what he earns, so basically you will be subsidising him. Can he just do some games? Can he get another part time job that actually pays? Or agree to do chores for you that offset the cost of the petrol? It's worth him learning that 'adult' decisions about jobs involve looking at all the costs.

The lift with someone already going idea is good, and he can chip in towards their petrol costs.

DD had a job where they travel (and cost of the train ticket) wiped out her earnings. But she stuck at it for around 8 months and learned a lot.

Not sure that I'd be up for a journey of that length though!

Tricky, in theory no. But talk round the no... Finances etc- let him sort out solutions eg split travel with a mate etc.

I would be prepare to " subsidise" a bit for instance I do pick my daughter up at silly o'clock in the morning sometimes from work because I don't want the taxi home to wipe out her earnings if the taxi sharer isn't in.

I clicked on the thread about to say of course I'd drive them to a Saturday job, encourage work ethic etc but 170 miles , that is ridiculous!

Is it that he lives with his mum and the job is closer to her? If so could he/you rearrange the days he comes to you around work?

Will he get paid for timekeeping? You don't in all sports, it's often an unpaid extension of your interest in the sport so whereas you would have driven them to an event to compete, now you drive them to officiate as a timekeeper. In my experience there are usually others going from the club who would be happy to give a lift in exchange for an extra timekeeper.