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Teenagers

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

Original poster

Is your older teen working this summer? If so what?

133 replies

Trumporange · 13/07/2023 21:39

I'm curious - most of the dc we know who have just finished sixth form are not working this summer and I cannot get my head around this.
I worked from 16 onwards every school and then university holiday.

They have about three months off before heading to university. The majority seem to be travelling for a few weeks with friends and going on a family holiday and pottering about in between. Is this the norm now? Note most of these kids are from comfortable middle class families - not staggeringly rich but well off enough.

OP posts:
Original poster
Trumporange · 15/07/2023 01:06

Lordofmyflies - £11 is a great rate at this age. I'm sure it's physically very hard work.
Hope he enjoys his well-earned break.

How much are most of your dc getting paid everyone else?

I'm glad to see so many mumsnetters dc ARE getting jobs or at least have worked before to save for travel.

My dc are working for sure and it feels like they're outliers round here! There was no question for them or me that they'd work.

OP posts:
Silkierabbit · 15/07/2023 01:17

DD in y12 has 2 jobs, one taking tours on the river and she can get up to £300 a day from that and one serving dinners in the university when there are formal dinners on which is about £10.50 an hour plus free food. She has saved about £10k so far and been on 2 trips abroad with it. Started working at 16. Both are zero hours contracts but loads of work available.

DS, asd and a year younger just games so I am very happy to read the £35k a year success story from Ineedatreat

toomuchlaundry · 15/07/2023 01:21

DS working in hospitality earning money for university, had a week’s holiday with mates which he paid for

MintyCedric · 15/07/2023 01:28

DD is carrying on in the job she’s had for the last couple year working for a local charity.

She’s also signed up to do Serve Legal audits and is keeping an eye out for bar or retail work to try and get some experience for when she looks for work at uni.

Whattodowithallthebooks · 15/07/2023 01:38

My 17 year old is working in primark for the summer before Uni. She had a summer job in a different shop last year.

TooBigForMyBoots · 15/07/2023 01:57

My 16yo is going to work with his dad for experience and something to put on his CV.

sawnotseen · 15/07/2023 06:21

My 18yr old has just got back from his first boys holiday. He'll be working at the turnstiles/stewarding at local football club until he starts his degree apprenticeship. My daughter has worked full time since she left school after A levels. I worked from the day I left school at 16 as did my sister (initially for family until I got a job in central London)

TooOldForThisNonsense · 15/07/2023 06:23

Mine works in Ikea

Stylinson · 15/07/2023 06:31

My 17 year old works on the turnstiles at a local football club (£11.95hr) and does football coaching (£10/hr)

My younger daughter would love a job but no one seems to employ 15 year olds

Zoopernoodle · 15/07/2023 06:37

Yeah . DD 17 works in Burger King.

mumonthehill · 15/07/2023 06:40

Ds 16 started work pot washing last year. This year end of GCSE he is working at a golf course, doing strimming, logs and any serving at events . It is 8-1 so leaves him part of the day to do other stuff

So1invictus · 15/07/2023 06:44

Mine is a residential activity leader for 5 weeks for an English language school. I work there as well and all our activity leaders are either first year university students or just finished A levels.

So1invictus · 15/07/2023 06:46

(if anyone has any 18 year olds interested in this, TEFL.com carries ads. It's late now but some places are still recruiting - mine earned £3000 last summer for 5 weeks)

PowerBMI · 15/07/2023 06:51

Dd worked from 16 in a cafe then a supermarket. She took the summer after her a-levels off. She and her 5 best friends have been friends since they were about 6. So spent the summer doing all sorts of activities together. Anything from going to the park with a Punic to days out. I was fully supportive.

Some were going to uni, some would be going into full time work. It was their last summer as fairly care free ‘kids’. She had plenty of money saved.

when she moved to Uni in the September (only about 45 mins away in the car) she went to an agency and signed up and did holiday/absence cover in solicitors offices in the city her Uni is in. She is studying law so it fit for her. She found 2 law firms that use her regularly for reception/PA/admin cover and both are great if she can’t do a day due to lectures or work load.

She had her last exam in May but has been staying in her Uni flat as they have had lots of work for her, then coming home at weekends. Last week was her last week until September and we emptied her flat last night.

it’s really well paid so again, she had a lot of savings. She may not work while she is back. If they ask her last minute to work, she will and just get the train over. She likes it because it’s no weekends. They are flexible in terms of her uni work and it’s regular enough she gets some money most months.

stayathomer · 15/07/2023 06:51

Was talking to mums about this yesterday. It is nigh on IMPOSSIBLE to get paid jobs now. We have people calling in daily and we had to stop even putting cvs on file. Even the places always looking for staff aren’t anymore. Lots of people volunteering which is great in a way but I feel for them too. Op this is more the way now, people who would have done ft jobs are now accepting pt leaving teens stuck. That and businesses can’t afford extra staff anymore. Kids who have jobs are lucky

sandgrown · 15/07/2023 06:52

a friend’s daughter earned minimum wage teaching English online to Chinese children. The hours were a bit unusual due to the time difference But she quite enjoyed it.

QwertyWitch · 15/07/2023 07:02

My 18yr old has also been unsuccessful so far. Applied for around 30 jobs. Had 2 who sent rejections, the rest don't even bother to contact. He's had some long term volunteering but no paid jobs in his cv.

lljkk · 15/07/2023 07:17

What kind of jobs is he applying for, Qwerty?

I don't want to sound mean, I'm just astonished he can't find anything.
I live in area with most old people in country, though, so we are especially short of working age people. I could go get a casual job easily and even easier for teens who can be paid lower rates.

Lentilweaver · 15/07/2023 07:23

My DS has posted his CV and applied for more than 30 jobs, and got nothing. Many employers say they wanted someone for more than 3 months. I don't know what else to suggest either. He's done fantastically in his first year of uni and doing a very punishing course, so am leaving it.

orangeleavesinautumn · 15/07/2023 07:24

Stylinson · 15/07/2023 06:31

My 17 year old works on the turnstiles at a local football club (£11.95hr) and does football coaching (£10/hr)

My younger daughter would love a job but no one seems to employ 15 year olds

wow. Paid more for checking tickets than taking responsibility for the safety, enjoyment and personal development of actual small human beings - from the same employer!

What an awful reflection on society. But it has always been like this.

QwertyWitch · 15/07/2023 07:25

@lljkk he's applied to retail, fast food, cafes and restaurants. Only 2 companies got back and said they regret etc due to high volume of responses.
There are obviously lots of people out there with experience looking for work.

YukoandHiro · 15/07/2023 07:25

Who is funding the travelling/holidays?

This is what has changed. I had to work to be able to afford to do anything. People are being handed large weekly allowances and therefore can afford to have a social life without work.

Lentilweaver · 15/07/2023 07:25

stayathomer · 15/07/2023 06:51

Was talking to mums about this yesterday. It is nigh on IMPOSSIBLE to get paid jobs now. We have people calling in daily and we had to stop even putting cvs on file. Even the places always looking for staff aren’t anymore. Lots of people volunteering which is great in a way but I feel for them too. Op this is more the way now, people who would have done ft jobs are now accepting pt leaving teens stuck. That and businesses can’t afford extra staff anymore. Kids who have jobs are lucky

Why is this though? we are in Central London. Some jobs ruled him out because not local to them.

CrispsnDips · 15/07/2023 07:28

18 year old : labouring in his dad’s building business but has worked in a warehouse and Asda in the past, plus a mortgage store as a work placement

17 year old : waitressing in local farm tea shop

they both have excellent work ethic

Stopsnowing · 15/07/2023 07:29

My theory is the increased casualisstion of work. I had a full time contract as a Saturday girl but now the same shop can employ middle aged people on a zero hours contract so doesn’t need to rely on 16 year olds to fill the busy periods.