Enough – the ATM is tired of handing out money! Do you ever get the feeling you’re feeding a beast with an insatiable appetite? Weekly pocket-money, plus extra on school holidays, and regular concert tickets, and clothes and shoes….the requests are never-ending. And you can imagine how much they do to earn the pocket-money can’t you?
Now I know when they’re young your children need you to support them and provide for them, but as the men-children keep reminding me, they are ALMOST 16. Time surely to get a job and start funding some of their own entertainment?
To be fair, one of the men-children has made some effort to apply for jobs. The other, only under extreme sufferance, and from memory that would be ONE application only. Now I don’t know whether it’s harder to get work as a teenager these days, but I had my first job at 14 and didn’t look back. It was at the French Bakehouse with one of my best friends Lou, walking distance from home. The best part of the job was all the almond and chocolate croissants and cheese twists we got to eat and the crunchy baguettes we got to take home at the end of our shifts.
Once I got the taste of having my own money I couldn’t earn it and spend it fast enough. Actually, one of the men-children is just like me – the moolah positively burns a hole in his wallet if he doesn’t spend it in record time. The other man-child is actually more like my twin sister – a non-spender and therefore good saver.
Either way, the independence and responsibility that comes with holding down a job is an invaluable lesson for teens in my view. I know they’re busy with sport – in fact right at the moment it’s quite ridiculous how busy they are with extra sporting commitments due to pre-season training for rugby and footy, on top of rowing; but now’s the time to have a foot in the door with a casual job so they can be employed over summer and earn some holiday money. Of course one side effect of having a job might be a little dent in the social life too – and that can’t hurt can it?
So how old were you when you got your first job? Was it as good as the French Bakehouse?
Please note any prospective employers should feel free to contact me. The men-children are good-looking and have developing muscles so manual labour is definitely an option. 🙂
Mother of a Man-Child 
A job is a good thing. We get 15 year olds in for work experience and I can actually pick those with a job – they’ve had far more exposure to lots of different people and it’s reflected in how they speak to us ‘grown ups’. I thoroughly support it. My surrogate daughter Franke used to traipse the street with CV (including a pic so they remember who you were!) and hand it out anywhere she thought would be okay to work – cafes, restaurants – even the Fairy Shop – who of course immediately employed her as a fairy! It shouldn’t be hard for your guys to get jobs – they’re articulate, good looking and can be very polite. It’ll do them good. You can tell them I said that! Now, back to that sleeping with the girlfriend post…..I have things to say about that too!! MWWxx
Great tips MWW. Now to motivate them – sudden withdrawal of funds is normally just the thing. Or the approaching Christmas holidays. 🙂