15 yo DD doesn't want a job, do I push?

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Registered: 03-26-2003
15 yo DD doesn't want a job, do I push?
2
Mon, 06-11-2007 - 2:32pm

Last summer

Avatar for suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-1997
Mon, 06-11-2007 - 4:22pm

I think if she needed/wanted the money for her fun activities and allowance or whatever doesn't cut it, she should at least work some, whether it be doing chores or daily cooking at home, or having a 'real' job if there is one available - maybe part time/half days/few days per week, etc.

For my ds14, he's going to 6 weeks of summer school (by choice, to get a social studies credit overwith and to lighten his 'core' load during the year), and is on a swim team during those 6 weeks. He'll get regular allowance during that time, but that's it, unless he wants more and therefore does extra work around the house to earn it. After this (and a short vacation), he'll be working 3 weeks from 8:45-3:45 as a teen intern with younger kids doing glass and clay class, and then gets 'paid' by taking teen classes afterwards for 'free' (from 4-5:45, tuition 'paid' because of his internship) - to him, that's the 'reward' and 'work' he wanted - he's not in it for cash. So at 14, no, he won't have a paying job; he'll still get usual allowance, but he also cooks for us and helps around the house (dh and I both work FT). His expenses aren't much, so this does work for us/him. FWIW.

Sue

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-1999
Mon, 06-11-2007 - 4:29pm

I guess the key point is in your last sentence--if she has an allowance of X dollars and she spends that, I would not give her more money unless you agree that she can earn it by doing certain chores or helping out in the store or whatever. If she's content not to have any money, then I wouldn't push her working at 15.

Around here, there is only one place that even hires 15 yo kids and that's the grocery store. It was even hard for my DD to get a job when she was 16--for some reason in a lot of stores, you have to be 17. She did get a job in a dept. store when she was 16, then when my DSD turned 16, she didn't work at all that summer. I kept asking DH if DSD was going to work and he would say yes, then nothing ever happened. I drove her around one day to get applications, then she never handed any in and had some reason why she didn't want to work anywhere. At that time, she didn't have much of a social life and she doesn't like to buy clothes, so I guess she didn't care that she didn't have money. She would earn some money for mowing the lawn. This year she got a part-time job, but only 6 hrs. a week after school.

Now my DD is the one driving me crazy by not working. She stopped a few months ago, after working steadily for 1 1/2 yrs, to do track and since it was the end of her senior year, I said ok. Now she has just graduated (Saturday) but this week she is going to college orientation, then she has a couple of vacations coming up. She said "noone will want to hire me just for 2 months." There is a new store opening at our mall that she loves, so she will apply there, but it's true that I don't know if they will want someone who is going away to college. I also suggested temp secretarial work and she seemed ok w/ that, so when she comes back from orientation, I'll have her sign up.