Reply to things you wish you knew as DC started HS...

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Question for those who mentioned getting a job or volunteering in the summers --

Let's say your child isn't motivated to do said job/volunteering.  Teen would prefer to stay home and play video games.  How do you get your teen on board with the goal of having activities/job/volunteering?

Some say "let them follow their passion" -- but what if their only "passion" is staying home and communicating by typing with people on a group server?[/quote]

Require them to find a problem they are passionate about and to do some regarding that problem. If they are not passionate about any problems, then they need to get a job.[/quote]

Well, make the kid be passionate about keeping the wireless going at home by putting in overtime at his crappy fast food job.

More seriously, not all kids are passionate.  We sent our kid away as a Counselors Assistant. He had a great time and had the right amount of responsibility for where his head was at.  It wasn't cheap, but it was a great post-Freshman summer.[/quote]

My freshman DC also isn't passionate about anything except playing videogames (and, no, not interested in programming, game design, etc.  We've tried).  But, he has learned that working is good because it gives him the money he wants to buy games, go to movies with friends, get nicer sneakers than I will pay for.

His first "job" was volunteering as a camp counselor the summer he was 13.  The camp didn't pay him but DH and I did and we did the same last summer.  He looks forward to working there for pay when he's 16.  He has no interest in school extracurricular activities but when I sent him some info about an internship program that pays $300 after 3 mos he was great about applying and following through on everything.

If you pay for fun things for him, stop.  That's the motivation.[/quote]

I think it's funny how everyone here assumed that it was a son/boy who was the game-server-enthusiast.  It's not.  It's my DD.  She is not into programming.  And no, I really don't pay for fun things for HER.  She doesn't go anywhere or do anything or even want anything.  She doesn't care about clothes/shoes/going places.  She comes home from school.  Does homework (more or less) and then signs on to her minecraft server.

Back to my question -- and I do appreciate the suggestions even if they ultimately don't fit -- do you tell your kid at a certain age:  "Get a job for the summer" ?  Do you then take them to the mall or Subway or wherever and wait for them to pick up an application?  I mean, how does one parent a child and nudge them toward out-of-the-house activities if they do not already have the motivation?[/quote]

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