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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

14 year old boy - what part time jobs can they legally do?

37 replies

PollyPelargonium52 · 29/03/2019 06:35

Hi all my son is 14 and I have been teaching him various life skills around the house with a view to working a few hours in a part time coffee shop or something. However it states online only a few hours of light work are allowed at this age.

He won't do a paper round and he wouldn't do babysitting he isn't into that. What other jobs realistically are there at this age bearing in mind we live in a very small town and the bus service is infrequent. I would prefer him to go by bus and be independent although I do drive.

Other than that I can pay him to do more advanced tasks in the home and garden so he improves his skill base but it isn't really branching out.

What else is there does anybody know as I am really at a loss. As all he wishes to do is go out with his friends beyond doing his homework and going on gadgets and I would prefer to ground him with a bit of responsible work/lifeskills alongside.

Many thanks.

OP posts:

Hellokittymania · 29/03/2019 06:38

Would he be allowed to do some reading for somebody who is elderly or someone who is visually impaired for example? I am visually impaired and I needed somebody to read for me and a few secondary school students applied to do it. They were older than 14 though.

whatthefoxsaid · 29/03/2019 06:40

I used to work in a restaurant and the porter/pot wash was always under 16, if that's an option?

Zoflorabore · 29/03/2019 06:41

Hi op, I know at that age my brother used to be a glass collector in a social club but it was the 90's and the owner was my dad's friend so not entirely sure it was legal

Apart from paper rounds I'm not sure to be honest. Do you have any friends or family with their own business who would employ him for a few hours?

Ds is 16 and his dad has a photography business and ds is doing GCSE photography and will be doing at at A level too and he gives him hours if he wants extra money.

To be honest though if it wasn't for ds's dad, I wouldn't want ds to have a job yet as his school does the 3 yr GCSE's from year 9 and he's been swamped with homework and coursework and now revision.
He has even put the gym on hold for a while which I don't agree with but he suffers from anxiety so it's his choice.

Another option would be to do odd jobs for neighbours such as washing cars/mowing the lawn or shopping for elderly etc.

cptartapp · 29/03/2019 06:47

DS1 was refereeing for the local leagues at weekends from 14. £15-25 an hour! The two day training course cost £100 (if he likes football!)

Original poster

PollyPelargonium52 · 29/03/2019 07:23

I think maybe the way forward is to do odd jobs for say £2 for me and neighbours/friends etc.

OP posts:

StrongTea · 29/03/2019 07:35

Wish you lived near me, was thinking this morning we could really do with a bit of a hand in the garden, just generally, nothing heavy. Notes through neighbours doors?

Rubberduckies · 29/03/2019 07:54

Paper round
Leafleting
Washing up/clearing tables in a little cafe
Preparing food/washing up in small shops like sandwich shop etc
Helping neighbours- weeding/walking dogs

Its hard at that age. My friends and I had most luck going round and asking people ourselves. Parents asking for their children rarely got anywhere....probably still the case!

jcq17 · 29/03/2019 07:59

Kids will not do anything for £2 nowadays.
I worked on a fruit and veg market stall from age 14 onwards and that actually paid pretty well and that was over 10 years ago

Mesmeri · 29/03/2019 08:00

My brother and his friend used to go round the neighbourhood every Saturday or Sunday morning offering to wash cars, £5 per car, I think. It became a regular thing that people expected to happen and they made a reasonable amount of money (my brother was saving up for an electric guitar). They also got really good at washing cars...

Lonecatwithkitten · 29/03/2019 10:18

The tricky thing is for that any formal employment the employer has to apply to the local council for a child employment licence. I have one for my daughter (15) to do as hoc days on reception in my business.
When applied the child employment officer informed me that 95% of licences are from parents wanting to employ their children in family businesses.

Original poster

PollyPelargonium52 · 29/03/2019 12:14

I was thinking of ds washing tables/clearing away in a small cafe to be honest.

I am pretty sure he wouldn't do anything in the immediate neighbourhood as the neighbours are very private types who do not talk.

Would the cafe owners/staff think it unconvincing for me to go along with ds for any coffee shop type work or is it best if ds pops in himself and asks?

Even 3 hours a week would be good as most children his age in this neighbourhood do not have a job or motivation to get one whatsoever and just expect parent/s to endlessly shell out. I thought it would encourage work focus plus budgeting skills/morale.

Just wondering whether it is best for ds to go in the cafe/s in person on his own rather than me to tag along?

OP posts:

Hiphopopotamus · 29/03/2019 12:22

He’s 14. He does his homework, goes out with his friends, helps around the house and that’s still not good enough? He’s obviously learning life skills - he’ll have plenty of time for work. Maybe relax a little

adaline · 30/03/2019 09:38

Why won't he do a paper round? At 14 he can't really afford to be that picky

What about walking a neighbours dog? Or tidying someone's garden? Washing cars?

DailyMailSucksWails · 31/03/2019 06:16

Y not a paper round?
DS's alarm just went off for his paper round. The News Agent like him & want him to work in shop but he can't until 16 (sell cigarettes).

Yes, employers will be very unimpressed if you hand hold him to enquire about work! You can give him a lift or wait outside while he goes in to ask, that's the limit of your role.

DS (yr10) has (school) work experience at a garden centre. I'm hoping they might offer him casual summer paid hours afterwards, if he makes good impression.

Original poster

PollyPelargonium52 · 31/03/2019 13:25

I think I will just keep encouraging him to develop a more mature attitude to life skills/helping around the house (still quite lazy and reluctant) and then venture into coffee shop options in a few more months.

As he is still not showing enough maturity even at home let alone taking on a few hours of work.

OP posts:

namechange123779 · 04/04/2019 23:10

Does he like football? He could referee for kids games quite good money

ssd · 04/04/2019 23:15

Leave him alone op and stop trying to force the boy to work when he isn't ready to and doesn't want to. I work with a teen whose dad has forced her into a job too young and it's not helping her at all. Mind you she started at 16 not 14.
Some kids are ready to work early some aren't, forcing them helps no one.

ssd · 04/04/2019 23:17

He'll mature as he grows,. When he's ready, maybe not when you're ready but he has to live his own life, you can't do it for him.

Midlifemumofteens · 05/04/2019 22:37

My DS started doing early morning milk deliveries aged 14. Probably illegal but he was keen (he got the job himself, I was dead set against the idea) and I thought he would give up when he realised how hard it was to get up at 4.30 3 days a week! 18 months later he is still doing it.... The other thing 14 year olds do around here is help the market stalls set up and pack up before and after school.

00100001 · 05/04/2019 22:48

He can volunteer easily enough.

My DS15 has been volunteering with Beavers as young leader, whilst he was a Scout and the Blue Cross for a year now every other Saturday morning. And he will occasionally help out at Park Run.

Thunderpunt · 05/04/2019 22:48

As mentioned above if he is interested in sport, refereeing is a good option. Have to do the FA ref course first but our regional league pays between £15 (U7's 5 aside) up to £28 (11 aside youth) a game, and often they can get 2 or 3 games on a Saturday and same on a Sunday, plus tournaments in the summer. It's a good earner and a great life skill learning to be able to control a group of hot headed players, not to mention coaches, managers and parents!

ssd · 05/04/2019 23:18

He's far too young to referee, ds did it and dh does it and they both say it's very very tough.

ineedaholidaynow · 05/04/2019 23:31

My DH bumped into a girl, who used to be in the same Primary class as DS(14), working in the shop at the local garage the other day. I assume she is helping stock shelves and not on the till.

DS volunteers with our local scout group as a young leader and I know quite a few children who do that, and also with Guides.

Tonsilss · 05/04/2019 23:35

Fruit and veg picking. Should be lots of demand now there's a big shortfall in people coming over from the EU.

Thunderpunt · 06/04/2019 08:37

SSD why do you think he's too young to referee? The FA age to start is 14, and they can only ref up to 2 years younger. And in my experience reffing a 5 aside game of U7's is more like herding cats as the little tots all chase around after a ball! My son and many of his friends all started refereeing at 14 and yes there have been occasional challenges but nothing the FA course didn't prepare them for, and as I say it's rare to have an issue to deal with. Most youth teams are there for fun and to enjoy themselves.

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