Ugh. Ideas for 14 year old DS this summer?

[Anonymous]

An injury has ended 14 year old DS' plans for the summer, which included lots of sports. He doesn't have pain or limited normal mobility but can't play, and might have tendon surgery later in the summer. He couldn't do rock climbing or canoing or anything like that.

So I'm at a loss about what to do with him. He's almost 15 but not old enough for a job. All the MoCo camp junior counselor spots are filled, and he just seems too old for most camps round. His plan seems to be to camp out with the Xbox.

Any ideas for last minute activities for teens?

[Anonymous]

He IS old enough for a job. You only have to be 14 to be a cashier at a supermarket (or most anywhere other than a liquor store or strip club).

He should set up a lawn-mowing business if he can't get a nice air-conditioned cashier job or a mother's helper job.

[Anonymous]

(Same PP as above). I would NOT allow my kid to have no plan other than playing video games all summer. I'd have him reading books, practicing whatever musical instrument he plays, taking some random classes that interest him (cooking class?) doing laps in the pool, etc. Things for his mind and things for his body.

[Anonymous]

Life guard at a pool. All he has to do is get certified through DPR or a county agency. Swimming is great exercise but you might want to check whether his injuries disqualify him. Maybe he can work the front desk for check-in instead.

Babysitting. He can take a short course with your DPR or Red Cross.

Volunteering: at a camp, museum, park, summer school as a tutor, a church or religious institution, Humane Society, Candy Striper/hospital or any other NGO related to his future career ambitions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life guard at a pool. All he has to do is get certified through DPR or a county agency. Swimming is great exercise but you might want to check whether his injuries disqualify him. Maybe he can work the front desk for check-in instead.

Babysitting. He can take a short course with your DPR or Red Cross.

Volunteering: at a camp, museum, park, summer school as a tutor, a church or religious institution, Humane Society, Candy Striper/hospital or any other NGO related to his future career ambitions

Injury won't allow him to swim -- it has to do with the downward motion of the shoulder.

Good ideas thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He IS old enough for a job. You only have to be 14 to be a cashier at a supermarket (or most anywhere other than a liquor store or strip club).

He should set up a lawn-mowing business if he can't get a nice air-conditioned cashier job or a mother's helper job.

Really? I thought for sure it was older here in Montgomery County. I will check it out thanks.

[Anonymous]

I would second volunteering for about 20 hours a week would help get him started on a resume that he will soon be able to use for a summer job, internship or volunteer placement that he really does want. You just never know when exposure to something new and different opens up a hole new world of interest at that age. My other thought would be if there is something he would like to learn to do simply for fun but has not had time to do so such as exposure to a foreign language, play the guitar or an art class if you can afford it, this might be a good summer to offer it, but practice would be expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He IS old enough for a job. You only have to be 14 to be a cashier at a supermarket (or most anywhere other than a liquor store or strip club).

He should set up a lawn-mowing business if he can't get a nice air-conditioned cashier job or a mother's helper job.

My son was eager to work at 14, and other than caddying, which is probably too strenous with an injury, he was not able to find employers willing to take a child that age. Every supermarket and drugstore in our area requires cashiers and baggers to be 16.

This year he's 15 and can work as a lifeguard, but 14 was hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life guard at a pool. All he has to do is get certified through DPR or a county agency. Swimming is great exercise but you might want to check whether his injuries disqualify him. Maybe he can work the front desk for check-in instead.

Babysitting. He can take a short course with your DPR or Red Cross.

Volunteering: at a camp, museum, park, summer school as a tutor, a church or religious institution, Humane Society, Candy Striper/hospital or any other NGO related to his future career ambitions

You can't get a lifeguarding certificate until your 15th birthday.

What does he like, besides sports? Here are some things that my son or his friends have liked or benefited from that work with that age group:

Tech camps at TIC
Summer programs at AU or UMD
Filmmaking at Imagination Stage
Summer theater programs (Theatre Lab)
Summer School (if you're in MCPS, maybe he can take Foundations of Technology, which opens up some more electives)
Community Service camp at the JCC (I think both DC and MD have this)

[Anonymous]

There are lots of places to volunteer:
http://bethesdacares.org/how-you-can-help/donate-time/

[Anonymous]

Online courses

Maker Camp
http://makezine.com/maker-camp/

MOOC
I am having my 8th grader do this Algebra review online class

https://www.udacity.com/course/ma004


Do you have a religious affiliation they often have some volunteer ideas for shut ins

Consider seeing if he can do reading for the blind

https://www.learningally.org/volunteers/

Do you have neighbors with kids in the 5-10 range, maybe he can be the pool escort for them while their parents do stuff on a volunteer basis.

[Anonymous]

Too late to send him to sleep away camp? He could be a CIT.

[Anonymous]

Red Wiggler farm loves reliable student volunteers in the summer. It's an organic farm in upper MoCo, which functions as employment for adults with developmental disabilities. So your son could learn about working with differently-abled people as well as organic farming techniques, he could do a couple of mornings or afternoons a week.

https://redwiggler.org/