College freshman home for summer - with no job

[Anonymous]

Op, I think you need to give your kid a break. The job market is terrible. Many retail and restaurants are not hiring summer only help.

Your kid had mono and an injury and still got straight A’s. That’s impressive.

Your kid might be mentally exhausted from the tough year and need some time sitting and watching tv.

Give your kid a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would lighten up on the job stuff. It sounds like your kid needs time to heal, and 10 weeks is a tiny blip of time.

Could he do some pet sitting for friends and neighbors this summer to earn a bit of money and have some accountability?

+1

Tell him he needs to post on the neighborhood listserv and find work sufficient to bank $X/week and that it needs to involve at least Y hours a week of work. If he doesn't reach that number then he can do some volunteer work.

He could tutor, pet sit, housesit, take care of people's plants and yards when they are on vacation. There's lots to do. Doesn't matter whether he needs money or not, the point is that he can't sit around all summer.

That's what we do/did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Title says it. Kid came home. Unfortunately they got mono at the end of the semester, and had a physical injury all semester that hindered their ability to particpate in campus life. It was no doubt tough.

Now, however, they are home. Sleeping in til 1 pm. Says waking up is difficult (with mono) but seems to feel totally fine during the day and says as much. Can't be on their feet all day though with the injury, and sitting can be bothersome if the chair is not comfortable.

We have encouraged them to apply for a job. They say they have but they get no callbacks. They don't do the PT needed to recover from the injury. But they complain about it.

I'm kind of at my wit's end. They have cash leftover from what they saved last summer. I'm not sure I can last another 10 weeks. DH suggested paying them to be a housekeeper but I am not taking on the job of being an employer too. Nor do I want that role with my kid.

Any suggestions? I am so frustrated. This is not what we tried to teach growing up.

The injury and the mono and the exemplary grades are cause for some flexibility here. I had mono and it took forever to get back to snuff. You want your child to be rested and ready for sophomore year more than you need them to earn some money. Motivation was also at an all time low. I would talk with them about their plans for the summer and that as a member of the household, they need to be able to help out. Ask them what they think they would be able to do and see how they respond. I would keep in mind that the most important things about this summer is for them to recover from the injury and the mono.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The money they make is their spending money for the school year. Beyond that, I cannot tolerate sitting on the couch all summer binge watching tv.

OP, ignore everyone making excuses on behalf of your college freshman. That type of reasoning is why so many are unprepared for adulthood upon graduation.

I cannot imagine it being difficult to find a job, given that hourly places have been struggling to fill positions for years. Perhaps a job that is of interest...

If not a job, then at the very least, PT and enrollment in a summer course or two (many of which are offered online). It's wild that so many responses about a college freshman sound like they are talking about an 80-year-old senior citizen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Title says it. Kid came home. Unfortunately they got mono at the end of the semester, and had a physical injury all semester that hindered their ability to particpate in campus life. It was no doubt tough.

Now, however, they are home. Sleeping in til 1 pm. Says waking up is difficult (with mono) but seems to feel totally fine during the day and says as much. Can't be on their feet all day though with the injury, and sitting can be bothersome if the chair is not comfortable.

We have encouraged them to apply for a job. They say they have but they get no callbacks. They don't do the PT needed to recover from the injury. But they complain about it.

I'm kind of at my wit's end. They have cash leftover from what they saved last summer. I'm not sure I can last another 10 weeks. DH suggested paying them to be a housekeeper but I am not taking on the job of being an employer too. Nor do I want that role with my kid.

Any suggestions? I am so frustrated. This is not what we tried to teach growing up.

I bet pools are still hiring lifeguards—outdoors, flexible, rtc

[Anonymous]

Sorry just noted injury. Desk jobs at pool or country club (4 hours). Tutoring? Social isolation is not good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The money they make is their spending money for the school year. Beyond that, I cannot tolerate sitting on the couch all summer binge watching tv.

OP, ignore everyone making excuses on behalf of your college freshman. That type of reasoning is why so many are unprepared for adulthood upon graduation.

I cannot imagine it being difficult to find a job, given that hourly places have been struggling to fill positions for years. Perhaps a job that is of interest...

If not a job, then at the very least, PT and enrollment in a summer course or two (many of which are offered online). It's wild that so many responses about a college freshman sound like they are talking about an 80-year-old senior citizen.

Yeah, it really is. No one wants to hire someone that is only going to be there for the summer. They don't want to train them to have them leave a few weeks later. My kid had a really hard time last summer (her freshman year) finding a job-she applied to more than she could count. She finally found one but it really was not easy.

[Anonymous]

Give him a break. Sounds like he’s been through a lot. DS had mono over the winter and it took about 6 weeks to feel better. And your son has an injury on top of it. With all that, he still got straight As! Wow! I’d focus on the win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give him a break. Sounds like he’s been through a lot. DS had mono over the winter and it took about 6 weeks to feel better. And your son has an injury on top of it. With all that, he still got straight As! Wow! I’d focus on the win.

Yes please give your kid a break. Sometimes summer is for recovery. If hes bugging you have him come and keep me company. He can lie on my sofa and watch tv while i clean up the hoard my husband made of our house the past 27 years. Yes im venting.

[Anonymous]

Ask it to go on a long walk everyday.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the majority of posters. I think you should expect your son to find a job this summer. There are plenty of crappy jobs available out there -- dishwasher, childcare attendant, eldercare attendant, door-to-door solicitor, etc. He can try out a temp agency as well.

I guarantee he does not want to do this because it is way more fun to sleep in and chill out. But I see way too many older kids coming home from college and not working because the "perfect" job is not out there yet. They need to be able to work crappy jobs for 40 hours per week even though it is beneath them -- because that is what young adults have been doing forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask it to go on a long walk everyday.

Walk a dog or babysit too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And - they have straight As in college. So definitely can get the job done.

This doesn’t necessarily translate to an occupational work ethic. It sounds like your child lacks this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mono can be pretty serious. My kid’s doctor said it could take a few weeks to a couple months for him to get back to normal.

+1 I would figure this is a summer of resting. Most of the jobs a college kid can get - retail, restaurants, summer camps - require being on your feet all the time. Maybe they could take a summer class to knock out a general ed requirement?

I agree with this. Why can’t he help around the house? You sound unreasonable.

I would love for them to help around the house but I am not hiring them as a housekeeper.

Did they not have chores when they were a high schooler? They should at least be doing that and helping a bit. Own laundry, helping with dishes, walking a dog if you have one at the minimum.

[Anonymous]

Can they take a summer class at a local college? I realize that is the opposite of making money, but it would give them something productive to do while still letting them rest.