Maine Teens.. why don't they work? (Bangor, Old Town: insurance, employment, buy)

[deerislesmile]

My nephew is one of those lobstermen. He will be graduating high school in June. He has had his own boat for 3-4 years, just bought a new 2008 truck (paid for in full), and is planning on buying a new boat ($40,000+/-) this spring to fish next summer before going to college (which he will pay for himself).

[mollysmiles]

lol--great idea for a thread peachie!

[genmomto5]

Sorry for how scattered this is, just a slew of random thoughts:

We won't let any teens here get jobs unless they get decent grades. While I will occasionally front cash for a movie or school event they get no spending money unless their grades are up too.

My 16yo looked for but did not find a job this summer. He acted like I had assassinated is character when I questioned his job search methodology so I am not sure how hard he looked. Next year he will be old enough to be a camp counselor and he may take this option.

I hear many kids saying they can't find work but I suspect they want jobs testing video games and those are the games they can't find. I do agree though with Molly, if teens do have jobs and are treated poorly in them that's not going to teach them any kind of work ethic and as a parent sticking with a job like that would not be something I'd push.

And one last thought. I read something lately that had some stat on how many minutes of chores children did daily. I can't remember the exact figure but it was extremely minimal. My kids do much much more than the average. They pull their weight around here. I have even, finally, been able to get my moody (read bipolar) kiddo to pitch in. I have to juggle cats to make that one happen. So maybe it is a numbers game. We have 9 people in our house. The amount of work that needs to get done needs more people than mom and dad. Maybe families with less kids don't have that same urgent push.

[cdodge04]

From my observations teens are getting lazier and lazier. I'm 22 and have always had a very strong work ethic, I've had at the very least a part time job since I was in high school. My brother is 17 and thinks the world owes him something. He doesn't have a job and has no motivation to get a job. The same can be said for a lot of his friends. I thought a lot of the people in my class were lazy, but these younger kids don't want to do anything but sit at home and play video games. Its sad really...

[RANGER.101ST]

in short becouse the parents dont make them work.or cant make them work.

[American girl]

When I was a working teen in the early 70s there wasn't as much to do after school, my mom was home and available to drive me to and from work and I had to work if I wanted luxuries like panty hose and fancy shampoo. Now both parents work, or the one parent works and after school time is filled with show choir, mentoring programs, sports - both school affiliated and "travel teams" and dozens of other activities designed to keep kids busy until parents get home from work and often after supper as well. My "bonus son" goes to track practice EVERY afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. and has a track meet EVERY Saturday. Well, it's pretty darn hard to work AND participate in track but he manages a Monday night and Sunday shift at a local sporting goods store. And, get this, track practice starts in mid August. In the 70s sports didn't occupy that kind of time. Maybe the big team sport like basketball but you could certainly run track and bag groceries at the IGA no problem.

Even if a kid isn't involved in an afternoon sport or program it's hard to get to and from a job without a car or license and if the parents are unable to leave jobs and get them to and fro they can't work.

It's weird. Parents work like dogs to give kids "everything" but they aren't giving them strong work ethics and the very thing most kids want most.....time with Mom and Dad. They work so that they can afford to fill every waking moment of their child's time with a toy or an activity.

As kids we spent hours outside doin' nothin' and as teens we worked 20+ hours a week, went to school, ate dinner together as a family and did homework. Looking back it doesn't seem so bad.

[Elcarim]

Originally Posted by RANGER.101ST

in short becouse the parents dont make them work.or cant make them work.

I agree with that sentiment. I fully agree that kids today are WAYYYY too spoiled and catered to - mine included! And it's the parent's responsibility to guide them, whether gently or forcably, down the right path. Some kids are easier to "guide" than others, thus the difference between "don't make them" and "can't make them". For the most part, I think too many parents have fallen down on the job! Kids only follow our lead.

I must say, though, that we've heard more stories of hard working kids in Maine than we see around here. Maine seems to have a better handle on that than Texas does. Out of all our friends and family with kids, our "family" in Maine has kids who work diligently, and our people here all have kids who sit in the A/C all day and play video games and watch movies, or shop the malls relentlessly.

[Maine Writer]

Taylor's job right now is her education and school activities. She and her friends are keeping up with grades, at volleyball or another sport or activity five days a week, and some are working weekends. I don't want Taylor to work weekends for a couple of reasons. She runs from the time her feet hit the floor at 5:45 am until she's home from practice or a game. We seldom pull into the yard before 6:30 pm. By then she's been going 12+ hours and still has to have supper and do homework. She needs some down time. I don't want her life to be all about busy-ness. I don't want a job to interfere with our family time. Life's too short to not have time to enjoy it. And, I don't want to drive her around. I do enough of that during the week.

One of T's friends and Molly's oldest daughter were working together Sunday. Taylor works all summer to pay for school clothes beyond what we give her, her kayak, camera, driver's ed, spending money, savings account, etc.
Like deerislesmile, my nephew has been lobstering for two years. He's a junior in high school, keeps his grades up and plays soccer.
I don't think I know many kids who are slackers.

[mollysmiles]

MW I just realized in reading your post that I've had ONE weekend day to do something fun with Michael and that was when his girlfriend was here--he's worked every single weekend day except two since he returned from Upward Bound in early August. Sunday we went over to the Saint John area geocaching and he said "I wish I could go".... maybe we need to make some different plans. As a senior in high school he's still willing to hang out with me once in a while and I should be taking advantage of that.

[peachie_in_maine]

Originally Posted by peachie_in_maine

I see all over and talked to some area business and they mentioned they are having problems with being short staffed. Teens arean't holding down after school jobs.

I'm asking on this thread because folks mention the decline of teens and seeing the "HELP WANTED" all over the area.
( I didn't mean all teens by any means.) Sorry if it came out like that.

If my daughter doesn't work for me, she will have to hold down a part time job to pay for her car insurance, cell phone bill.
I can't give those things to her. She just to close to being an adult to have those adult things.

So back to this weekend talks...
so0oo I don't get out that much, but the folks mention that teens were walking around and hanging around in little bunches in areas of town.

(right now, knock on wood, I'm okay with workers)

When I was a teen I don't remember my boss being "super nice".
I knew it was a good day when he didn't point out something I did wrong.
After a year I knew what he wanted and didn't want and made sure I didn't make that mistake twice.

Originally Posted by shadowfax1997

When I was in high school in the 80's, my parents would not let me work during the school year. My "job" was to participate in high school - band, sports, clubs, etc. SUmmers and vacations - I worked - mostly on my own doing lawns, raking, yardwork, shoveling, etc.

This is a good way thou, being a student, being involved with activities and studies are a great way of thinking on your parents point of view.

~humor
If teens are gathered in town hanging out, the work police say "okay kids your coming with me."