Would you let your teen work at a grocery store?

[Anonymous]

16YO DS hasn't started search for summer job yet. I have heard restaurants are not a good idea and retail is struggling. Lots of grocery stores near us. Do they have summer hiring? Might be PT during school as well. What are the pros and cons?

[Anonymous]

My daughter worked at our local Wegmans during high school. Saturdays and a couple of afternoons a week during the school year and then more full time in the summer. They worked with her around her school schedule and she even earned a small college scholarship which they came to her school to present. Throughout her first year or two of college, she would pick up some hours when she was home on breaks.

[Anonymous]

yes I would. I can't think of any cons. Not sure about summer hiring.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. No cons. All pros.

[Anonymous]

I worked at one when I was 14. So did my older brother. So did a bunch of kids from our high school. I still remember some of the codes.

Tell her not to get too friendly with the deli guys and don't walk into any walk-in fridges or freezers. Oh, and wash her hands when she gets home - money is filthy.

[Anonymous]

I'd assume con is not much interaction, if any, with other teens working. Kind of lonely and hum drum.

[Anonymous]

A lot of teens work at the big nursery here

[Anonymous]

I think working in a restaurant should be a requirement. Our DS will definitely work in the service industry for a year. Teaches communication skills and you learn a lot about human decency/lack there of.

Bonus of working in grocery store, future partner will be very thankful for a variety of reasons.

[Anonymous]

I agree everyone should work in a restaurant at some point. You gain empathy for service staff through the experience because you have to deal with so many entitled a holes.

[Anonymous]

Of course. Why would you be conflicted about it?

[Anonymous]

We found that grocery stores in our area won’t hire for summer only. They want the kids to stay during the school year, which doesn’t work for us.

[Anonymous]

Grocery stores are fine ( but boring.) I did that one summer as a kid. Both my kids have had food service jobs ( dishwasher, line cook) in restaurants and food trucks and found them more way more enjoyable and better paid than working in a store so not sure why you’d take those off the table. It really just depends on where you live and who’s hiring.

[Anonymous]

It’s fine. The Wegmans near my house even gave small scholarships when you graduated high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course. Why would you be conflicted about it?

This. Don’t even understand the question.

[Anonymous]

OP, national trends like “retail is struggling” don’t affect the need for cashiers and stockers at every location. Just apply.

And why would restaurants be a bad idea? Their reputation for sexual harassment? I had more trouble at my law firm than the dive bar I worked as a teen, so while I am sure it happens, it is simply everywhere.