At what age did your teen get a weekend/holiday job?

gibson123

I worked at 13, we were a skint family, my first wage was spent on the first new clothes I had every had apart from school uniforms (4 older sisters) I would not want my DD to work before 16. Kids are under so much pressure nowadays that I would be worried that she would be put under additional pressure.

Katexx

I don't know anyone who worked before the age of 16, I don't think...except for the odd paper-round...I don't even know of anywhere around here (other than for paper-rounds) who would employ people under the age of 16, tbh.

I didn't get a job until I left college, when I was 17. Just for 6 weeks or so until I moved away for university. I tried (admittedly rather half-heartedly) to get a job throughout college at local shops and stuff, but didn't even get a single response. I was pretty quiet and shy and think I would've been awful at retail anyway lol. And I had £30/week EMA so I didn't really feel like I needed a job.

Grumpygit

I had a part time job at 14 saturdays and some times after school which was fine and never impacted on my school work or the grades I got.

DD will be 14 in January and we will encourage her to get a job (if she can find one). She is getting a scooter for christmas/birthday so she will have to find a job to pay for the petrol!

marisco_2

I haven't got to the stage of packing my sons off to work yet. They are just 7 and 10. However when they are in their early to mid teens I will definately be encouraging it.

I got my first Saturday job when I was just 13. I worked in a little shop, 9am-2pm and loved it. I saved all my earnings up for months on end and bought my first dog when I had enough put by. A gorgeous but crazy spaniel who had mince for brains and could not be trained. I loved it to bits anyway and it felt like a huge achievement to have bought it all by myself.

Savvy_Sue

DS1 did the free papers when he was 13, then progressed to daily delivery of the local rag (it paid better!). Gave that up after a couple of years after his bike was taken off him by some of the local horrors. At 17 he went to work for the local cinema which was a FANTASTIC job, when they were quiet he could read or do his homework - and get paid for it! He got middling GCSE grades (excellent in the subjects he thought were important) and excellent A levels, then a 1st.

DS2 did the free papers from 13 and a Sunday morning round from soon after, then progressed to the cinema, but he only gave up the Sunday papers when he went to Uni. Better than middling GCSE grades, excellent A levels, another 1st.

DS3 thought the paper rounds were too much like hard work, and didn't get a job until the cinema asked if he would like to work for them. :rotfl: Middling GCSE grades (but better than we'd feared at one point!), excellent A levels, and hoping to get a 1st next year ...

I don't think it harmed their education.

nickj_2

my eldest daughter started a saturday job when she was 14 , she worked at a barn selling animal feed , only paid about £3-00ph , but she was happy with that as there were a couple of mates there , however she then asked at out local hotel if they needed any waitresses and they gave her a job , paid £5ph + tips , this was for a sunday, and 1 evening + weddings etc on saturdays , when she left school she went to college , but only for 2 days when she wasn't there or doing college work at home she worked at the hotel , cleaning/servicing rooms , reception , , as she proved herself as very hard working and reliable they upped her hourly rate , some weeks she is bringing home £300 and she has saved several thousand £s , in june she's off abroad to work for " a top travel agent ", although tbh the pay she will be getting from them is a pitance , bu8t it's what she wants to do

marisco_2

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

If children are in full time education, the clue is in the name - full time education

Making them get a job while at school is exploitative and a complete failure of duty

Sorry, but in Poland, we value education. Children working is unheard of.

No-one made me get my Saturday job, it was something I really wanted to do for myself. It enabled me to learn a number of useful skills and gave me valuable experience. My parents certainly didn't fail in their duty of care toward me. I left school with top grades, sailed through A levels, got into Uni and earnt a degree and have never looked back.

In the UK we value education too. Children working is heard of because we also value life experience.

hm71_2

If I might make a suggestion- as already pointed out there are a lot of rules & regs on employment for under 16s now.
but my youngest did a refereeing course it was £75 for the course and she can ref youth games so any game upto under 12.
mini-soccer pays £12 a game which is 40mins duration she does 2 of these on sundays so £24 earned. they older the players the more the pay under 12s is £18 a game but they are an hour long if your child is sporting may be worth looking into i know refs are in short supply around here.

Also i worked from 14 in a friend of my dads restaurant good money at the time and i have worked all my life untill my first heart attack at 39. But i encouraged my children to work if they wanted things one of my daughters used to come and help me working in a hotel when she was 14 only on sat/sun morning but it taught her to earn money for what you need.

justme111

I am reading it and realise I have to start moving in the right direction with my 8yp from now

kittendothroar

I started work literally about two weeks past turning 16, for £3 p/h in a uni canteen over the summer holidays - was awful but a good life lesson!