Should 16 year olds have a job?

[sweets]

My friends son has had everythinh handed to him on a silver plate since he was born, he has never had to work for something or save for anything, when he has needed or wanted something he has just got it. He does nothing to help around the house even though parents work full time and he has finished school , just done GCSE's and is due to start college in sept. I was chatting to his parents the other day and asked them if he had a job, they were horrified and said he was far too young!
I'm sorry but i think at 16 they should get minimum pocket money, and anything else they should have to earn it!
am i being a bit hard?

[marion123]

when my daughter turned 16 she went out and got a job in waterfields she wanted money so got a job she has been there for 3 yrs working on saturdays
she leaves next month as of to uni they dont want her to goas she is a good worker and she has meet lots of good friends there :)

[PixiePetal]

No, I agree. Depends what jobs are about though. I can't afford to hand out cash all the time, my kids are 12 and 15 so still at school. They get minimum pocket money and hopefully will earn more as they get older and a job.

I lived in a seaside town and lots of my friends were summer season waitress' or worked the candyfloss/icecream machines. I did babysitting and looked after kids where my mum did the cleaning. OMG only 15/16 and trusted with 3 kids under 6 for 4/5 hours at a time :laughing: Came naturally to me though :thumbsup:

[Alibali]

My dd is 16 and still at school, she hasn't had her pocket money increased and is looking for a job, there's not much out there though!

[Trouble]

my dd helps me she is only 12 so she earns her pocket money by picking up toys at the end of the day:D

my son helps his dad and fixes our cars he 15 but he is at college through school so he has some understanding and earns spending money:clapping:

[sweets]

just re read my post, it makes him sound like a spoilt brat! he's not really, he's a lovely lad. i understand theres not much work out there but what bugs me is that he hasn't even tried to get a job. His parents are quite well off, but i just think he needs a lesson on the value of money. He was talking the other day about when he has passed his driving test he is going to get bmw like his mums! He is in for a big shock when he finally does start earning! lol

[LOOPYLISA]

Yes i think at 16 they should at least be looking, my dd(11) has pocket money weekly and sort of earns it :rolleyes: , but if shes played up etc then no.
:thumbsup:

[FizzysFriends]

I don't think I will be asking my DD to get a job at 16, I think she has enough working years ahead of her without starting at 16. I didn't get a job at 16 either, didn't get a job until I could drive and had a car.

[sweets]

I don't think I will be asking my DD to get a job at 16, I think she has enough working years ahead of her without starting at 16. I didn't get a job at 16 either, didn't get a job until I could drive and had a car.

yes but would you expect her to help out around the house tho?

[nannymcflea]

My kids are 6 and 9 and have to work for things...they are both money aware and realise that they have to save for things they want. They have to strip their beds, take plates into the kitchen, help prepare meals, keep bedrooms tidy...:laughing: ...and work hard at school.

If they want anything I will sometimes buy it first and it gives them the incentive to do things and save for it.

My kids have more than I ever did so I don't feel mean about them having to do stuff around the house.

I hope at 16 mine will have the opportunity to work. There doesn't seem to be much out there for anyone at the moment.

[ajs]

sam didn't have a paid job at 16 but did volunteer at the local activity centre all summer then last year he got a job at morrisons and has been working there ever since ( as well as full time college) and this year the activity centre are paying him as he is 18 and he still works at morrisons too.
he pays me £50 a month and the rest is his to do what he wants but he also saves £50

alex my 16 yr old is my registered assistant and i pay her £50 a week but she works very hard for that money and i certainly wouldn't give her hand outs

the local dry cleaners is looking for staff so she is applying to work there too as that will fit around college as well. she can start paying me rent in september too

al of my kids have baby sat from a very early age

[FizzysFriends]

yes but would you expect her to help out around the house tho?

Yes shes expected to help around the house now because she lives here not to earn money, I don't pay her pocket money for doing things around the house that are expected anyway. I do however give her 'wages' for doing things above and beyond, like things to do with childminding.

But, I didn't get a job, until my parents bought me a car, paid insurance, tax and petrol, gave money and I didn't really do much around the house and I turned out ok.

[aly]

I had a job at 15. Finished school in may and found a shop to work in.

Saying that you did say he was going to college so I dont see how he can work too? If he wasn't doing anything at all ie no college etc then I would have said yes.

[cabby]

Ds gets £10 a week pocket money (hes 15), but for that he has to do a lot of jobs around the house, he does the washing,( he works the washing machine better than me...lol) hangs it out , sorts it when it dry, he and his sister have to load and unload the dishwasher every night and make sure the kitchen's tidy, as well as general housework!, Ds got herself a weekend job at macdonalds when she turned 16, she works 7-4 sat and sun, as well as doing her A levels, we told her all through the year that she didnt have to work so many hours and study but she wanted to, she's now doing a training course with triangle training so will be leaving mc's soon:)

[ajs]

Yes shes expected to help around the house now because she lives here not to earn money, I don't pay her pocket money for doing things around the house that are expected anyway. I do however give her 'wages' for doing things above and beyond, like things to do with childminding.

But, I didn't get a job, until my parents bought me a car, paid insurance, tax and petrol, gave money and I didn't really do much around the house and I turned out ok.
that's the point i cannot afford to buy 3 children a car, tax it and insure it and pay for their petrol too.

fil gave me a car for sam and we serviced it and taxed it this year but that's it if he wants to keep a car he has to learn to budget to keep it on the road.

i will help his sisters with their first car too but that's as far as the support can go

[Playmate]

In theory I agree, in reality at the moment the out look is bleak. My son will be 17 in 3 wks. He has had 2 jobs in the past, both have come to an end because his employers couldn't afford to keep him on. He finished his college year at the begining of June and doesn't go back until mid Sep. He has been everywhere he can think of with CV and it is just greeted with rejection. One of our mindee's father is a duty manager at the local supermarket, I asked him if they had any part time vacancies, he replied "we don't like takeing on young lads, they are lazy and then they leave":eek: My son is outgoing, great with kids, he is registered as our assistant and does work with us when we need him. Unfortunately we can't afford to pay him a proper wage.
The worst thing for us during term time he receives EMA from the government, so he is used to having money, but during holiday periods it stops, which for 3.5 mths is a long time!
My sons only hope now is that as some of the older ones go off to uni in September, maybe he will able to get some work in the run up to Christmas.

[sweets]

As both his parents work full time and long hours,i think they should at least make him help around the house! when i say he does nothing is an understatement! his bedroom is full of crockery, towels on the bathroom floor, never makes a cup of tea or cooks a meal or walks the dogs during the day. mum and dad have to do it when they get home

[cabby]

we have just brought DD a car, but its a £300 H reg fiesta, she had to tax and insure it herself with money she had saved!!! she also has to pay for her own driving lessons!! even though its an old car its her pride and joy, she really loves it, her friend had a 05 plate car brought for her and she has no respect for it at all:panic:

[sweets]

we have just brought DD a car, but its a £300 H reg fiesta, she had to tax and insure it herself with money she had saved!!! she also has to pay for her own driving lessons!! even though its an old car its her pride and joy, she really loves it, her friend had a 05 plate car brought for her and she has no respect for it at all:panic:

first cars have to be crappy its the law! lol. I paid my dad for his old one when i started driving, it was very old but i loved it.

[estrelas]

I haven't read all the replies but i think they should even if its just a paper round, it gives them responsibilty etc
I worked in a market from age 15 ever saturday, it was fab

[FizzysFriends]

[/COLOR]
that's the point i cannot afford to buy 3 children a car, tax it and insure it and pay for their petrol too.

fil gave me a car for sam and we serviced it and taxed it this year but that's it if he wants to keep a car he has to learn to budget to keep it on the road.

i will help his sisters with their first car too but that's as far as the support can go

My point wasn't that parent's should buy cars etc for their kids, its totally an individual chose but its more that just because he doesn't have a job and gets things bought for him doesn't mean he will grow up being a brat or never working.

[littlesprogs]

first cars have to be crappy its the law! lol. I paid my dad for his old one when i started driving, it was very old but i loved it.

my first car was a 05 plate mazda 6 but then I only passed my test last year when i was 21 and I was married with a baby but If i'd had to buy a car when i was 17/18 it would have been a rubbish car!

I never had a job at 16 because i went to college straight after and got EMA which was enough to start with but I still helped around the house with cooking and cleaning etc and my mum never gave me pocket money as such but she would pay if i wanted to go to the cinema occassionally or something like that. I then went on to get a weekend job when my EMA wasnt enough and when i started driving lessons.

I dont neccessarily think you should be working at 16 but i definately think you should be helping round the house (that should be earlier than 16!).

[Pipsqueak]

Absolutely - children should learn that money doesn't grow on trees nor is there an endless supply in their parents pockets plus learning about the value of money.

I had a paperround from the age of 13 - got my first Saturday job at 14 and worked ever since. My parents didn't have the money to splash on us - we lived hand to mouth, so I learnt the value of money early on.

I am trying to instill the same values into my kids - they work for what they want (sometimes we will met them half way and agree to pay half), they do jobs round the house (even James age 4), garden, do small jobs for the neighbours, clean the car/van/caravan, they don't get paid for cleaning their own quads and eqiupment though, Rob and Harry go to work with their dad in the holidays and weekends for extra cash and they may get extra by working for Bri's mate. I know that sounds really tough - but its not hard or forced labour.

[samgeordie]

I had a saturday job from the age of 16, my mum was a single parent bringing up 3 children so money was very tight, so getting a job was a way i could afford wee treats/clothes etc. I see no problem with a 16yr old getting a part time job, it gives you independence and also how to budget money.

[Roseolivia]

I started to work in the local newsagents from 14, went to college while still working at least 3night a week and Sundays, finished college and started nannying and still worked in the newsagents until i was 20. I have worked ever since either in nurseries, training centre or now as a childminder. I think it's good for young ones to work as they appreciate money, i find my mindees have no value over anything as they get what they want all the time. When Rose is old enough she will be doing odd jobs to earn money.

[balloon]

My own children help me around the house and get paid pocket money but if I could afford paid help then I wouldn't ask them to do it. I honestly don't believe that they're better people cos they do a few chores.

[singlewiththree]

OK

age 13 I have three paperrounds
The local free paper
Sunday mornings
Manchester Evening News

age 14 As well as the paper rounds I was working in the local newsagents straight off the bus until I did my round.

Aged 16 I quit two of the paper rounds and got a sat job in the local supermarket.

Aged 17 I was working full time in the week as a secretary and sat at the local supermarket and quit my paper round.

Aged 18 I was working full time had quit the local supermarket but bought a house with my now ex.

I was expected from an early age to help clean the house on a sat for pocket money as my mum was a childminder in the week and worked in an old peoples home at the weekend. We had a room each to clean on top of our bedrooms. I was expected to help wash up etc.

Have I taken this approach with my children, erm yes and no. I don't give them spending money as they won't earn it, they won't even tidy their room, they do help tidy up downstairs and they do help with cleaning if they ask to help. I will suggest they get a paper round but not to work themselves like I did.

[Mouse]

I had my first job when I was 13 and have always worked. I loved having my own money & being out of the house!

My eldest (now 18) had a job from the age of 15. he worked really hard & enjoyed it. He's had a couple of jobs now & has done really well. He's off travelling for 6 weeks now, then off to uni, so has left his jobs, but they've all offered him work whenever he wants it.

Sadly my 16 year old doesn't share our work ethic! He inherited one of his brother's jobs, but threw it away by being lazy & unenthusiastic. He's now hunting around for something else, but there is so little going for a 16 year old. He's learnt the hard way that if you don't work, you have no money. He's finally realised that I won't just hand out money as & when he wants it and has started doing jobs round the house to earn some money. I'm really mean & won't give him pocket money as he had a good job that he lost. I've told him that if he did even a paper round I would top up his money, but I'm not giving him money to slob around all day. I buy what he needs, but not what he wants.

[sweets]

i think that teenager need to understand the real value of money. Worknig in a low paid job part time will do that, Be it out in a work place or a home. It gives them respect for all people doing different jobs from cleaners and bin men to chief executives! it will teach them to see people as equals and that all jobs are important.

[sarah707]

I was a Woolies Saturday girl at 16, there wasn't the money for me to go out etc otherwise.

I earned £10 for a day! :laughing:

Dd will be expected to work her way through college if she wants to go and so will ds.

I think it's very important for them to learn the value of money and earning :D

[Daftbat]

My eldest daughter is 16 next week. She has just left school having done her GCSE's and is going to Sixth Form in September. She has just managed to get a part time job in the pub across the road from us, helping with serving meals and behind the bar as necessary. She had been looking to get work for the past few months and was eager to get some money to buy the things she "wants" rather than needs iyswim.

I think that 16 year olds should work even if its for just a few hours a week. It gets them to value money and start to budget for when they leave home - perhaps to go to uni. My daughter has also offerred her services to my customers as a babysitter and this has been received well by them. I give her £10 a week pocket money but she helps around the house for this and i also pay her to babysit for me.

[debbie]

i think if they can find a job good luck to them. at least they lear4n the value of moneymy ds is 20 and has been everywhere looking for work with no luck . my ds is 17 in 4 weeks and has a paper round and does babysitting on a regular basis for my mindee kids and parents and has had no lucki with full time work.