Teen needs to miss a week at her internship this summer due to family vacation ...

[Anonymous]

I would also like to know what kind of health issues require a person to go on vacation with her parents. If she isn't going for some sort of treatment and is well enough to do 9/10ths of a competitive internship, I would be pretty irritated if an intern tried to use a health excuse with me.

[Anonymous]

The point is not that she will not be missed at the meeting and her role at the organization is "not that important". It jus exemplifies the wrong attitude to commit to a job (whether pod or not) when there has been a conflict on the calendar all along. I feel like part of raising a responsible young adult is instilling the importance of fulfilling an obligation unless there is some rare circumstance preventing it. (Not sure what the child's illness is in this case that prevents this, I am just speaking more generally.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have college and graduate school level upaid interns at my job. These are very competitive spots, despite the fact that they are unpaid. I can tell you that our organization would be PISSED at an intern that pulled this. And interns have pulled things like this because they appear to not know any better. And in response, they haven't gotten jobs here. Or we've failed to give them positive evaluations. Or we've refused to serve as future references for employers and schools, etc. Acting like this has consequences. I get that this is just a high schooler we're talking about but honestly, it's parents like you that help explain why so many young people seem to suck. They have no sense of what is professional and what commitment means. You say this is a vacation that had been planned a long time ago. You also had the dates school ends and begins again a long time ago. Why didn't you parent better in this situation? When she interviewed/applied for the internship, why weren't these issues discussed within your own family? There should have been a discussion on the impact the internship would have on her end of the year, or the start of her new year, or the vacation. And if these things were incompatible, then you find another internship or opportunity. That's your role as a parent. To teach her how to handle these kinds of decisions. You do your child no favors by modeling for her that you shouldn't plan ahead or that it's "no big deal" to make commitments and then back out.

You sound really bitter and angry. Those unpaid workers not working out for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - just let them know your DC will miss a few days. they won't care. we have interns at my work (HS and college kids) and, since they don't do "real" work, no one cares.

My son's internship is for school credit and it was competitive. This would NOT be the case for us.

OP, be prepared for them to say "thank you but no thank you" to her participation in their program.

[Anonymous]

Thee must be a lot of worker bees on this thread. No vacation for that teen! No matter what !!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have college and graduate school level upaid interns at my job. These are very competitive spots, despite the fact that they are unpaid. I can tell you that our organization would be PISSED at an intern that pulled this. And interns have pulled things like this because they appear to not know any better. And in response, they haven't gotten jobs here. Or we've failed to give them positive evaluations. Or we've refused to serve as future references for employers and schools, etc. Acting like this has consequences. I get that this is just a high schooler we're talking about but honestly, it's parents like you that help explain why so many young people seem to suck. They have no sense of what is professional and what commitment means. You say this is a vacation that had been planned a long time ago. You also had the dates school ends and begins again a long time ago. Why didn't you parent better in this situation? When she interviewed/applied for the internship, why weren't these issues discussed within your own family? There should have been a discussion on the impact the internship would have on her end of the year, or the start of her new year, or the vacation. And if these things were incompatible, then you find another internship or opportunity. That's your role as a parent. To teach her how to handle these kinds of decisions. You do your child no favors by modeling for her that you shouldn't plan ahead or that it's "no big deal" to make commitments and then back out.

You sound really bitter and angry. Those unpaid workers not working out for you?

Because interns are actually a lot of work for the firm that takes them, and not unpaid labor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It's only a meeting that she is missing. Unfortunately an important one. I'm not calling her boss for her ! This is something she has to do for herself. And to the pp who is all burned up ... You get what you pay for. Pretty entitled of you to think that college and grad students should work for free.

You have a high estimation of your high school kid's value in the labor market.

My son has an internship (competitive) and he isn't paid because he will be learning. Trust me - he's bright, eager, but of no value to them. They will have to invest time in him and can't jsut have him file for the month. I don't think you understand the difference between an internship and a job.

Yes, some interns are taken advantage of, but many firms invest a lot of time in them (and time is money).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thee must be a lot of worker bees on this thread. No vacation for that teen! No matter what !!

That's not the argument being made and you know that. It's not the right thing to do to apply for a short-term position knowing they would be absent for part of it (at least without disclosing the absence upfront).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It's only a meeting that she is missing. Unfortunately an important one. I'm not calling her boss for her ! This is something she has to do for herself. And to the pp who is all burned up ... You get what you pay for. Pretty entitled of you to think that college and grad students should work for free.

You have a high estimation of your high school kid's value in the labor market.

My son has an internship (competitive) and he isn't paid because he will be learning. Trust me - he's bright, eager, but of no value to them. They will have to invest time in him and can't jsut have him file for the month. I don't think you understand the difference between an internship and a job.

Yes, some interns are taken advantage of, but many firms invest a lot of time in them (and time is money).

My DD is doing a computer job. It is much cheaper to have her do it. Computer professionals are expensive. Also she has a large following on the internet. So she does have value. Perhaps that is why 74 other HS students did not get the job. She is missing a meeting -- the total hours will be the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It's only a meeting that she is missing. Unfortunately an important one. I'm not calling her boss for her ! This is something she has to do for herself. And to the pp who is all burned up ... You get what you pay for. Pretty entitled of you to think that college and grad students should work for free.

You have a high estimation of your high school kid's value in the labor market.

My son has an internship (competitive) and he isn't paid because he will be learning. Trust me - he's bright, eager, but of no value to them. They will have to invest time in him and can't jsut have him file for the month. I don't think you understand the difference between an internship and a job.

Yes, some interns are taken advantage of, but many firms invest a lot of time in them (and time is money).

My DD is doing a computer job. It is much cheaper to have her do it. Computer professionals are expensive. Also she has a large following on the internet. So she does have value. Perhaps that is why 74 other HS students did not get the job. She is missing a meeting -- the total hours will be the same.

Well, if she's doing actual labor for free, the firm is doing something illegal. They won't give a crap about the meeting because they are already extracting enough out of her.

You asked opinions, didn't like what you heard because your kid is better than that and then got pissy about the answers... I'm outa here.

[Anonymous]

I don't care how prestigious this internship is, it's free labor and it's likely still menial tasks so I say she should just be as professional as possible but take the damn vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - just let them know your DC will miss a few days. they won't care. we have interns at my work (HS and college kids) and, since they don't do "real" work, no one cares.

NO! Let her tell them. Mommy doesn't need to help out here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't care how prestigious this internship is, it's free labor and it's likely still menial tasks so I say she should just be as professional as possible but take the damn vacation.

+1

[Anonymous]

We have a coworker's DD Rising College Sophomore as a paid intern in our office this summer. Complete joke of the office, the girls comes and goes when she pleases and tells Dad-- and her job was to cover the front reception area! Dad made comment at a lunch that DD asked him if she could have a cookie - a 19 year old. OMG, I used to respect and like coworker until I saw his parenting. Let your DD talk to her supervisor herself and get a feel for if asking to take off would be okay. They will likely tell her yes and think what a valuable skill she learned to speak up for herself.

[Anonymous]

I would not appreciate this, it tells me poor planning and an entitled teenager who wants to just lay out by the pool. It's called a SUMMER internship. You work! I wouldn't give her a recommendation after the internship or think about giving her a job later. Unless she offers to work and make up the hours.