19 year old son and finances

Threebabes

Update.

Son has a job!! 16 hours a week part-time in a supermarket.

He is going for training during the week before he starts. He did the interview and for a first interview he said it went well.

He cant wait to get started.

Caroline_a

Just caught up with this post, so a bit late with comments! Firstly, well done to him on the job. My thoughts are that jobs you do as a teenager/student are far more valuable than the assumption that the youngster will be better using their time to study. Firstly, if they want the qualification then they will prioritise study (give a busy person the job to get it done, etc) . Secondly, assuming that going to uni is their chosen route to getting a good job, the lower paid, basic level job is the best way to teach them 'how to work'.

All my girls had jobs as teenagers - it gave them sound work ethics as to how to behave at work. I feel these skills are vital learnt then, in an environment that isn't their chosen career - mistakes then don't matter as they would post uni.

I hope the budgeting lessons and housework lessons are working,OP. Your son will be well on his way to becoming an adult.

Skint_yet_Again

Threebabes - well done to your son on getting a job ! He may find as its a supermarket he can do extra hours in the uni holidays as my son's girlfriend does this too

As for the rest, go with your own instincts - I work part time 30 hours over 4 days a week and find I have the time to do the washing/ironing cooking and cleaning and food shopping.

My mum did all this whilst I was living at home and I helped out when I could or when she asked me.

My son works 5 days a week including overtime from 7.30am to 6.30pm mon to Friday and he is a police special constable (unpaid) doing Friday and Saturday night shifts sometimes not coming in until 5am. I choose to support him by doing all the housework etc - he pays for his food and share of the bills and will do jobs if I ask him to. He knows how to iron as he learnt this during army cadets when I made him iron all his own kit - and does still do his own if he needs something in particular that hasn't been ironed yet.

Just go with whatever suits you as a family.

Threebabes

Hello an update.

Son left supermarket beginning of September after gaining employment at McDonalds. He does 2 or 3 shifts a week, around his university course. It was great timing due to Asda nightshifts being a Saturday/Sunday night, and he does a full day on a Monday at University.

After resigning from Asda he got a letter asking him to reconsider his resignation. Which he had to politely decline. I have found though he is really quiet he seems to fit in places well and works hard. He got a lovely valuation from McDonalds after his probation, he had picked up using the till quickly, was quiet but polite etc, always smartly dressed. :T

We have drummed into him its not just about the money its about as previously mentioned work ethic, mixing with colleagues, being out of comfort zone, people skills, working with public.

He reckons (!!) he is rushed off his feet with uni and work :eek:, though his dad and I feel it couldn't be further from the truth, his time management skills are dire, but its something he has to work on himself.

He seems to have settled well into McDonalds, even when he stands frying chips for 5 hours...... :rotfl:

19lottie82

Glad to hear it OP, he probably enjoys the feeling of earning his own cash! I've heard good things as McDonalds as a PT employer for teens. Apparently they are very flexible with hours and the young environment is enjoyable.

Tygermoth

Now you have nailed the job situation it may be worthwhile having the same kind of chat regarding time management.

When i started uni i had to learn to budget, not because i didn't know but more because of the social life, books and equipment as well as unexpected bills put strain on meagre finances. this is a life skill learned and worked it self out in the end....

The thing that bit me in the rear though was not getting to grips with managing my time. I was a good student, smart and capable but nearly washed out at the mid point because i let everything get behind thinking i had time, or that it needed less prep than it did. I seriously, and i mean seriously, had to play catch up to drag my rear out the fire.

I will admit that i don't know the pace of the accountancy course but in my experience the first and second years are well planned with clear stages for workloads so if he is saying he is struggling now it does not bode well. There will be resources at uni to help, please get him to utilise them!

I get a cold sweat looking back on how much i would have lost just not thinking and planning my workload! I was very very lucky that i had my 'lightbulb moment' when I could still put it right. As student you have a tendency to live day to day and not look to the bigger picture its a very easy trap to fall into.

Another month... i would have washed out of my course and ended up working full time at my 'uni job' and wasted all the time and effort.

Maybe sit with him to map his work load like you did with the budgeting (him taking the lead here so its falling back to you to do it)

Gigervamp

19lottie82 wrote: »

Glad to hear it OP, he probably enjoys the feeling of earning his own cash! I've heard good things as McDonalds as a PT employer for teens. Apparently they are very flexible with hours and the young environment is enjoyable.

It does depend on the management. My son worked there for over a year. He was working full time hours, but doing shifts. Some shifts were only 11 hours apart, eg, he'd do a night shift, 10pm-6am, then back to work the same day at 4pm. It took him 90 minutes to walk to and from work, so it left him little time to eat and sleep.

He left because he asked to reduce his hours to 30 a week, so that he could care for me (I have cancer) and they kept fobbing him off.

The one he worked in was a franchise one, so I don't know if it's different for the non-franchised ones.

It's a shame, because he was a good worker.