Should 16 year olds have a job?

[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!

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

[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.