15 year olds and paper rounds....

[Sparklingbrook]

Does anyone have a Ds who just comes home from school and gets on with it? It's once a week, the local paper. He moans and groans about doing it for longer than it takes to actually do it.

[BackforGood]

That's shocking Clary - he's getting up before school to do (even a small) paper round 6 days a week, for just £2.10 each day???
I'm all for encouraging work ethic, but that's just not right.

[clary]

Maybe it's £12.50 for Mon-Fri plus extra for Saturday. It's similar to the one he used to do but that took him longer as it was a bit more spread out. Seems to be the going rate.

I think it's OK. DD is about to start hers which pays £12 a week, so £2 a day. She's 13. If I got her to wash the car and it took her a similar amount of time - 3/4 hr - I reckon I'd pay about £2 tbh.

[SoonToBeSix]

A paper round would be ideal for my dd but only it was just an hour a week. I wouldn't want her to do more whilst studying for her GSCE's. Neither would I expect her to get a job this summer , she is working so hard now she deserves to relax.

[Sparklingbrook]

I just think mid-June to early September is a lot of relaxing Soon A P/T job would be good for him. My friend's DD did all day Saturdays and Thursday evenings at B&Q, leaving loads of time for everything else, and she had money in her pocket too.

[Georgethesecond]

My fifteen yr old DS does morning rounds in the holidays. I don't get involved. I actually think it is important not to - he needs to manage the working dynamic for himself. I would step away if I were you. If he doesn't do it to their satisfaction he will get sacked. No need for you to intervene - save your nagging for homework!

[Georgethesecond]

And yes he will work next summer - no one needs that much time off!!

[bigTillyMint]

Sparkling, how about babysitting? My DD has been doing neighbours for years and DS (13 and a half) does it occasionally.

[MyballsareSandy]

Def agree with the working after GCSEs. It is a long time off to just veg, and it would look crap on their CVs if they've done nothing.

I was shocked at a friend's DD who is 18 and has never had a job, not even a paper round, and she recently ran up a 400 mobile phone bill that her parents are paying .

Although mine are only 13 at the mo, so perhaps it's easier said than done!

[Sparklingbrook]

I know of a few like that Sandy. They even come home from University for the summer, do nothing at all while Mum and Dad pay for all the socialising.

I really don't want DS1 to veg for months. My only worry is he's a summer birthday so will all these jobs be taken by then?

Hadn't thought of babysitting Tilly I think that may be an option, or maybe some dog walking, something like that.

[bigTillyMint]

Yep, one of DD's friends did dog walking. Or car washing?

[mumthetaxidriver]

Babysitting is a great way of earning as it tends to be when they wouldnt otherwise be doing schoolwork. My DS (15) did some flyers and gave to the parents at Beavers where he helps. The kids are all ones he knows and they love having him there - he often puts them to bed as they like staying up and playing with them/chatting for a while. He has also starting getting recomendations to other families. This weekend he has bookings for Friday and Saturday night so will earn at least £40. D's is not 16 until August so this money will be really useful until he can get a "proper" part time job.

[bigTillyMint]

Yes, babysitting is easy money really!

[Standinginline]

Maybe he could get a morning one? I did morning for 3 years and never once moaned, but remember the odd evening I took over I hated. Once I got back from work the last thing I wanted to do was go out again.

[Standinginline]

School I mean, not work, lol

[moolady1977]

My 15yr old ds does 1 in a morning every morning he has about 14 papers a day his round is about 4 milessome days he does it on his bike other days his uncle takes him he gets £20 a week and he moans like a baby

[SoonToBeSix]

From mid June yes, my dd's school breaks up at usual time around 20th July. Then begin studying for their A levels straight after their GCSE exams.

[BackforGood]

National Minimum wage for U18s is £3.79

[ChillySundays]

My son finished school mid June and only had the paper round until September. I have to say he bored stupid. As I have said up thread somewhere he is a football ref so he couldn't get a job as all the one he looked at all wanted availability to work weekend. Although matches aren't guaranteed (weather) he would have to work 4 and 7 hours to earn what he does from one match. Most weekends he gets a match on a Saturday and one on a Sunday

[ChillySundays]

Back - those rates are for 16 - 18 years old. There isn't a minimum wage for under 16s

[BackforGood]

The rate is for "Under18s".
I'm aware, legally that people under 16 do not have a 'right' to the minimum wage, but, as the minimum wage for U18s is so low anyway, then it's a pretty poor employer who doesn't meet that. Particularly when they are actually turning up for a short shift 6 or 7 times a week..... even if the shop is at the bottom of the road, you've still got to walk there and back around each hour or 40min shift - that time adds up over a week.Anyone employing a teen to do a paper round should meet the NMW, IMVHO (and I'm always saying on the babysitting threads that you can bung either of my older teens £10 or £20 for an evening's babysitting and they'd be delighted, so not generally someone who thinks all wages should be high).

[ChillySundays]

I think papers rounds are notorious for low pay and can get away with it. Like I said earlier soon as my DS turned 16 he started being paid minimum wage.

[BackforGood]

At 13, mine got that (well, it was a few pence less then, but the NMW for U18s at the time) for the round, then they got 'top ups' according to how many leaflets there were to be added.
I wouldn't have endorsed them working for less than that.

[Sparklingbrook]

It's the leaflets that make all the difference. But I was keen for him to have something he had to do once a week, so it wasn't all about the money IYKWIM.

A lot of my friends have said 'My DS wouldn't do it for that' which is fair enough but DS1 is getting £28+ a month that he wouldn't without the round.

[ATailofTwoKitties]

DS (15) has just discovered that he can make more by busking for an hour than by slogging away with a sack of papers in all weather.

Oh dear.

All attempts at instilling the virtues of a regular work ethic have just gone down the drain.

[ChillySundays]

Where I live they pay even less for the weekly freebie so my DS was doing well. Over the month it was £36 and like Sparkling says it's money he would have. There is a waiting list.