Well, here it is summer and the kids are home. One (my son,16) got a job working weekends at a restaurant a couple of months ago. I mentioned recently that he should ask for more hours since he will have lots of free time, but they actually cut him back to just one night a week (Saturday). Meanwhile, my daughter (also 16) has been very defiant about working this summer and so a few weeks ago I started looking for volunteer opportunities for her. I had already told her she has to do something besides watch TV or sit in her room all summer. I have found an agency that can use her help with physically/mentally challenged kids and she has agreed (half-heartedly) to participate, but it's just four hours on Saturdays.

They have both been given a few daily chores Monday through Thursday to help out around the house. Other than that, though, I don't know what to do with them...I hate to see lazy kids hanging around all summer, but I can only do so much. I discontinued allowances, hoping that would motivate them to work so they'd have some spending money, but they don't seem too concerned, even though I don't buy them anything other than the necessities, so they're going to run out of fun money soon (or in son's case, have very little of it). I can't really "volunteer" them for things if they aren't all that willing to do them.

I realize jobs for them aren't easy to come by. We've discussed this since about March and I tried to get them to brainstorm and see if they could come up with some other options, like mowing grass. They just don't want to do it.

Any suggestions?