I don’t want DD to get a job

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She should find a life guarding job. They will hire 15 year olds, and she’ll be surrounded by other young people. It’s a great way to make friends.

This. Not too many jobs available for 15 yr olds except lifeguarding. Most 15 yr olds don’t want to go to camp anymore. Mine had two jobs in the summer when he was 16. He still does years later. Lots of good lessons from having to deal with difficult people to how to manage your money. Win win.

It's so strange to me how often people suggest lifeguarding so cavalierly. Yes, it can be a great job for certain teens, but it's not just about sitting in a chair and telling people to walk. You need to swim decently and be ready to save peoples' lives.

Op's daughter may be an awesome varsity swimmer, who knows, but many a shy teenager who prefers hanging out in bookstores to socializing would not find that to be an ideal job.

She wants a job and this is what's available to her. Why hold her back? The test really isn't that difficult.

My kid once looked into it and it wasn't a simple process. Required some number of hours of training and passing a CPR test, swim test, and what not. Definitely, was not something that could be accomplished if one started today and expected to get a job this Summer.

Maybe it is easier/quicker in some states.

My DS did two weekends of in person work and some online modules. Some pool operators will train kids too. It was quite easy and quick.

[Anonymous]

I don't blame her. Fifteen years old being a camper is weird. Most 14-15 YOs are CIT/Jr Counselors.

Let her try for a job. My kid desperately wanted a job at 15 and didn't get hired anywhere. He applied to everything - at least 40 job applications - and none wanted to deal with the hassle of hiring and training a 15 year old who comes with so many restrictions, even during the summer. He and another friend ended up making some money by doing lawn work and dog walking for neighbors.

[Anonymous]

OP, there have been many accurate statements in this thread, although I would take the advice from anyone who offers their high school work experience from decades ago with a grain of salt. The world is different now, and hiring practices make it difficult for younger teens to find consistent work or for anyone to find summer employment at any non-seasonal business. Based on my experience with three kids around your daughter's age, here are a few observations:

1) It will be hard to find a job in retail, restaurants, or other businesses at that age with no experience. The most accessible positions to get are usually dishwashing positions if that is something your DD is open to.
2) If your DD wants to look for retail and similar jobs, her best chance of getting hired will be at small businesses that don't use Indeed or other online hiring platforms. Most year-round corporately owned businesses do not hire seasonal workers. She can try to submit online applications, but she will most likely apply for 100 jobs and not get many responses (if any). If your DD is open to continuing to work during the school year, that might increase her chances of getting hired.
3) At that age, the most plentiful summer work opportunities are in local pools, seasonal ice cream shops, maybe country clubs, etc. Lifeguarding offers the most opportunities, but not everyone is cut out for that. Some camps may pay 15-year-olds, although many offer CIT programs that you have to pay for. Jobs like this are also the most likely to accommodate family vacations (which is an issue that contributes to businesses' lack of interest in hiring summer workers).
4) Besides seasonal opportunities and lifeguarding, available jobs include babysitting, landscaping, and pet-sitting situations where your DD would need to find clients. These jobs are less likely to provide the socialization you are concerned about, but they provide valuable experience.

My kids struggled to find summer employment that wasn't lifeguarding while they were in their teens. Your DD's age is also challenging because if the job isn't within walking distance of your home, she will need a ride, which can be tricky without parents who WFO or have flexible schedules. In addition, some of the jobs they had at pools were irregular. For example, my son worked as a pool concierge one summer and was constantly sent home if the pool wasn't crowded or if there was inclement weather.

With that said, there is an upside to going through the process of looking for jobs even if you don't find one, and if she can get a job, it is likely to benefit her more than going to sleepaway camp. I would let her look for jobs and see what happens. If nothing else, she will get experience with creating a resume, completing and submitting applications, interviewing (if she gets an interview), and other skills that will serve her well. If things work out and she finds a job, the position will likely be one where she will be around other people her age. If she goes the babysitting or pet-sitting route, she will essentially be operating her own business, which developes other skills.

[Anonymous]

Working at an ice cream shop or a pool would be so fun at that age

[Anonymous]

My oldest started working the summer he was 15 (and that was during covid). He lifeguards and coaches.

Kid #2 is 15 this summer and has a job lifeguarding and another one teaching swim lessons. Her peers who are not guarding are working at camps, hostessing at restaurants, and working in ice cream shops. Sports camps are a great place to start if your child has some skills.

They learn so much when working. How to plan their schedule. How to deal with bosses and coworkers. How to talk to customers, even those who are difficult. Then, they learn how to fill out a tax form and deposit a check. And when they've earned the money, they see exactly how long it takes to work for that Starbucks drink or Lululemon shorts.

Let your child work. If you want her to hang out with friends, they will likely be at work, too!

[Anonymous]

Would she be interested in volunteering for a political campaign? I figure there has to be a lot of work available this summer. She’ll meet people, not make money, and do something that would look good on applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 15 year old worked full time in summer and on holidays and I let her work on Sundays (full 8-hr shift) during the school year. She was 15 going on 30.

Are you in the DMV? What kind of job?

[Anonymous]

I’m on the west coast so maybe different but my daughter got a job working full time last summer at 15, as a camp counselor for city parks program. She’s basically guaranteed the job every summer with a dollar per hour bump each year. This year she will make $20/hour. It’s a great gig and other than her boss, all the other counselors are high schoolers or college kids.

It’s harder this year to get a job but lots of her friends have jobs. Mostly for summer camps, some of the sports camps will hire even at 14 if you have a history with them and experience with that sport. Gymnastics camps, and local amusement park/ skate rink hires tons of teens here.

However, lots of these jobs are already taken at this point. You have to be fairly exceptional to grab one of the jobs that hire at 15. But just her ambition for trying, should be encouraged!! It comes off a bit like you don’t want her to grow up, OP, which is something you should work out for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She won’t get a job so let her try. If she gets hired she’ll be lucky to get a few hours a week.

She can still go to camp.

I worked at age 15, along with a lot of my friends. My children worked a summer job at age 15 too. It’s a good habit to get in to and learn how to manage money. It was a fun experience for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there have been many accurate statements in this thread, although I would take the advice from anyone who offers their high school work experience from decades ago with a grain of salt. The world is different now, and hiring practices make it difficult for younger teens to find consistent work or for anyone to find summer employment at any non-seasonal business. Based on my experience with three kids around your daughter's age, here are a few observations:

1) It will be hard to find a job in retail, restaurants, or other businesses at that age with no experience. The most accessible positions to get are usually dishwashing positions if that is something your DD is open to.
2) If your DD wants to look for retail and similar jobs, her best chance of getting hired will be at small businesses that don't use Indeed or other online hiring platforms. Most year-round corporately owned businesses do not hire seasonal workers. She can try to submit online applications, but she will most likely apply for 100 jobs and not get many responses (if any). If your DD is open to continuing to work during the school year, that might increase her chances of getting hired.
3) At that age, the most plentiful summer work opportunities are in local pools, seasonal ice cream shops, maybe country clubs, etc. Lifeguarding offers the most opportunities, but not everyone is cut out for that. Some camps may pay 15-year-olds, although many offer CIT programs that you have to pay for. Jobs like this are also the most likely to accommodate family vacations (which is an issue that contributes to businesses' lack of interest in hiring summer workers).
4) Besides seasonal opportunities and lifeguarding, available jobs include babysitting, landscaping, and pet-sitting situations where your DD would need to find clients. These jobs are less likely to provide the socialization you are concerned about, but they provide valuable experience.

My kids struggled to find summer employment that wasn't lifeguarding while they were in their teens. Your DD's age is also challenging because if the job isn't within walking distance of your home, she will need a ride, which can be tricky without parents who WFO or have flexible schedules. In addition, some of the jobs they had at pools were irregular. For example, my son worked as a pool concierge one summer and was constantly sent home if the pool wasn't crowded or if there was inclement weather.

With that said, there is an upside to going through the process of looking for jobs even if you don't find one, and if she can get a job, it is likely to benefit her more than going to sleepaway camp. I would let her look for jobs and see what happens. If nothing else, she will get experience with creating a resume, completing and submitting applications, interviewing (if she gets an interview), and other skills that will serve her well. If things work out and she finds a job, the position will likely be one where she will be around other people her age. If she goes the babysitting or pet-sitting route, she will essentially be operating her own business, which developes other skills.

YAWN

[Anonymous]

We have lifeguards at our neighborhood pool who are 15. They have a blast. We all love them.

[Anonymous]

Get a job at a camp. Then everyone is happy.

[Anonymous]

I hope my daughter is like your kid in 3 years. I would love for her to get a job over the summer. Far better lessons learned and time spent than sleepaway camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This must be a troll post.

OP said nothing about why she thought it would be a bad idea.

This is OP. I thought I made myself clear but maybe not. She doesn’t need money so there’s no practical reason for a job, plus I don’t want her to spend her summer alone and not make friends.

PP here. You have to be kidding. She can learn about money for her future. She can actually open a custodial IRA using this money. This is a fantastic way for her to learn about saving. The lessons learned about working in the real world are invaluable. She can make friends at work.

Why would you want her to make friends with kids she won't see again during the school year? That makes no sense.

My kids already know that age 15 or 16 and up, they are getting summer jobs. Some they can spend, some they can put in an IRA or save for college. They will learn what things they like and don't like about work (how they deal with people).

There is no value to sleepaway camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD15 wants to get a part time job over the summer, maybe at the bookstore or grocery store. She is very uninterested in going to a sleep away camp, which I think she should do. She doesn’t have many friends and I think it would be beneficial for her to have fun at camp. However, she has been asking for a job for a while and thinks it would be interesting and look good on college applications. However, I buy her basically whatever she wants so she doesn’t need money. How can I convince her that this is a bad idea?

She's right. Why sleep away camp now? If she is not one to make a lot of friends quickly it will not be fun.