I don't want to speak for anyone else but I think there is *some* merit to the point that the standards of each generation are indeed different.
For example, it was certainly NOT the standard in my family for myself or my cousins or many of my friends and acquaintances to do extra-curricular activities such as sports or dance lessons or music.
Congrats to your son (and you) on his scholarships. LOL, that's not in any realm of possibilities here.
I think its just important that the kids do something positive...maybe a job isn't always it...I know kids that never had any job until after college. I guess it's okay as long as they keep up good grades and their parents can support them. Some kids do sports, some do volunteer work, there's even kids out there that stick with Scouts until college... for us, it was a big help to not give DS his spending money anymore...even better when he got his license and could drive himself to and from work.
Its true, it is harder for kids to get a job these days. McDonald's is about the only place that consistently hires kids. And retirees. And no matter where you look, the retailers that are doing well are the one's that cater to young people...American Eagle, Abercrombie, PacSun...where are they getting the cash?
My 15 (then 14) year old worked at a rental supply place last summer. He cleaned chairs, tents and bounce houses. This will be his job for every summer he wants it.
My oldest did not start working until the summer he was 15 - he worked for our neighbor who owns a tree service place and the following summer and school year since he has worked for a seafood restaurant's distribution center. Last year he did not play sports so he worked a couple afternoons and the weekend - this year he is playing sports so he is only weekends.
We actually require our boys to work during the summer. Working is good for teens - they get to see what working is like, they have to negotiate and figure out the real world, they have to do their paperwork and they learn they can do many things for themselves. Do not call them in sick, talk to their bosses for them or do anything more than keep track of their schedule. Jobs help teens be responsible - by requiring more. It really is a beautiful thing! Yes school may be demanding - but so is life - they can always work weekends only where we are.
Courtney
I pray my wish, will come true, for my child, and your child too...
Mine does! She got her first job last summer, as a courtesy clerk at a nearby grocery store. It was a couple of months after her 16th birthday, and her first day was July 4th! This was quite a step forward for her, given that her first day reporting to work was the first time I had ever let her go to a store by herself. LOL
That job lasted until a few weeks after school started, they just wouldn't pay attention to her when she told them she couldn't work certain days. Then it came about that she is going on a school tour to Paris and Italy next Spring Break, so she needs money to pay for the trip. That was the deal.
She started working at Target in early November, about 20 hours a week as a seasonal employee, pretty much on the weekend. They pay well, and there's a chance she will stay on after the Holidays. She likes it, she gets to do different things and they treat the employees well, at least compared to the grocery store.
Well, we are off track now, aren't we? I think there are pros and cons to the Performing Arts school. Some factors are both pros and cons. For instance, it's a charter school, and it's very small. That's a pro because all of her classes are very small, the biggest class has 15 kids. Pro because the teachers all know the kids well, the principal knows them all, and they keep a tight ship. Con because there are limited academic choices, no choices of different teachers for a subject (ie only one teacher for the HS history classes), very limited AP and no Gifted classes. Con because her social opportunities are so limited. She's had a falling out with her former best friend and the whole Jr. class knows it (all 50 of them). Con because there is one boy for every four girls, and half the boys are not interested in girls. So she's going to be pretty much a novice at the whole dating/relationship thing when she hits college, which scares me a bit. Con because going from this school to a huge university is going to be difficult.
Aside from that, it's been a good fit for her. She's always been "different", no doubt because she is gifted with LDs, and she feels she fits in at this school. She gets to dance every day at school, the spring dance concert is like this school's major sports event. She always gets parts in the plays and musicals, even though she doesn't sing! She's loved it, and I can't convice her to give the big local HS a shot. It's her choice as long as her grades are decent and she's being a semi-responsible kid.
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My 17 yo DS has never had a "real" job, just mowing our lawn and our neighbor's lawn from May through November.
I don't want to speak for anyone else but I think there is *some* merit to the point that the standards of each generation are indeed different.
For example, it was certainly NOT the standard in my family for myself or my cousins or many of my friends and acquaintances to do extra-curricular activities such as sports or dance lessons or music.
Congrats to your son (and you) on his scholarships. LOL, that's not in any realm of possibilities here.
I think its just important that the kids do something positive...maybe a job isn't always it...I know kids that never had any job until after college. I guess it's okay as long as they keep up good grades and their parents can support them. Some kids do sports, some do volunteer work, there's even kids out there that stick with Scouts until college... for us, it was a big help to not give DS his spending money anymore...even better when he got his license and could drive himself to and from work.
Its true, it is harder for kids to get a job these days. McDonald's is about the only place that consistently hires kids. And retirees. And no matter where you look, the retailers that are doing well are the one's that cater to young people...American Eagle, Abercrombie, PacSun...where are they getting the cash?
My 15 (then 14) year old worked at a rental supply place last summer. He cleaned chairs, tents and bounce houses. This will be his job for every summer he wants it.
My oldest did not start working until the summer he was 15 - he worked for our neighbor who owns a tree service place and the following summer and school year since he has worked for a seafood restaurant's distribution center. Last year he did not play sports so he worked a couple afternoons and the weekend - this year he is playing sports so he is only weekends.
We actually require our boys to work during the summer. Working is good for teens - they get to see what working is like, they have to negotiate and figure out the real world, they have to do their paperwork and they learn they can do many things for themselves. Do not call them in sick, talk to their bosses for them or do anything more than keep track of their schedule. Jobs help teens be responsible - by requiring more. It really is a beautiful thing! Yes school may be demanding - but so is life - they can always work weekends only where we are.
Courtney
I pray my wish, will come true, for my child, and your child too...
Courtney
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day... there's a great big beautiful tom
Mine does! She got her first job last summer, as a courtesy clerk at a nearby grocery store. It was a couple of months after her 16th birthday, and her first day was July 4th! This was quite a step forward for her, given that her first day reporting to work was the first time I had ever let her go to a store by herself. LOL
That job lasted until a few weeks after school started, they just wouldn't pay attention to her when she told them she couldn't work certain days. Then it came about that she is going on a school tour to Paris and Italy next Spring Break, so she needs money to pay for the trip. That was the deal.
She started working at Target in early November, about 20 hours a week as a seasonal employee, pretty much on the weekend. They pay well, and there's a chance she will stay on after the Holidays. She likes it, she gets to do different things and they treat the employees well, at least compared to the grocery store.
Well, we are off track now, aren't we? I think there are pros and cons to the Performing Arts school. Some factors are both pros and cons. For instance, it's a charter school, and it's very small. That's a pro because all of her classes are very small, the biggest class has 15 kids. Pro because the teachers all know the kids well, the principal knows them all, and they keep a tight ship. Con because there are limited academic choices, no choices of different teachers for a subject (ie only one teacher for the HS history classes), very limited AP and no Gifted classes. Con because her social opportunities are so limited. She's had a falling out with her former best friend and the whole Jr. class knows it (all 50 of them). Con because there is one boy for every four girls, and half the boys are not interested in girls. So she's going to be pretty much a novice at the whole dating/relationship thing when she hits college, which scares me a bit. Con because going from this school to a huge university is going to be difficult.
Aside from that, it's been a good fit for her. She's always been "different", no doubt because she is gifted with LDs, and she feels she fits in at this school. She gets to dance every day at school, the spring dance concert is like this school's major sports event. She always gets parts in the plays and musicals, even though she doesn't sing! She's loved it, and I can't convice her to give the big local HS a shot. It's her choice as long as her grades are decent and she's being a semi-responsible kid.
Pages