Maine Teens.. why don't they work? (Lewiston, Calais: renting, house, landscaping)

[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 know when I was a teen in the 80's, it was hard to be a teen finding a great part time job because all teens had them.
Now they can have a huge pick of the litter.

Where are they?
Have our standards changed?
Are todays parents telling kids dont worry I'll take care of that?

[Ezlivn]

When I was a teen I used to hitchhike (would not recommend that today of course) 10 miles into town and then bagged groceries at the local supermarket. I'd then hitchhike back home at 10pm or so. I did that until I finally was able to get my own clunker car.

Kids today are spoiled rotten mainly due to our own faults. Society has changed.

Where are they? Still around just not looking for work
Have our standards changed? You bet they have
Are todays parents telling kids dont worry I'll take care of that? Sure are.

[Ezlivn]

Forgot to mention also......most employers are so desperate for help that they will take anyone with a pulse. And sadly that's pretty much all they get for help too. kids today are too busy "texting'

It's pretty sad to think that they are our leaders of tomorow.

There still are great kids out there though. You just have to look a little harder.

[Elcarim]

Originally Posted by Ezlivn

When I was a teen I used to hitchhike (would not recommend that today of course) 10 miles into town and then bagged groceries at the local supermarket. I'd then hitchhike back home at 10pm or so. I did that until I finally was able to get my own clunker car.

Kids today are spoiled rotten mainly due to our own faults. Society has changed.

Where are they? Still around just not looking for work
Have our standards changed? You bet they have
Are todays parents telling kids dont worry I'll take care of that? Sure are.

That's a bit of a broad generalization, I think. And just for the record.......won't be happening in my house when my kids reach that age. At 3, 6 and 7, my children already have specific chores and extra requests throughout the week that they are responsible for. Even now, when they want spending money for little things that are above and beyond the things we treat them to periodically, they have to earn it. I do hope more parents choose to instill such values into our future leaders.

[shadowfax1997]

There are still many students that I work with in high school that do work and are successful at school. When I advised the key club, we had students that did sports, music, work, school, volunteered 10+ hours every week, and still had time for a social life and were top 10 in the school. I couldn't begin to keep up with all they do. A few years ago, I had a junior who had his own landscaping business. Truck was paid for, trailer, equipment, two kids worked for him. He probably made more than me. Dirty Jobs had an episode of two kids downeast who were lobstermen - 19 and 17 or something like that - who had two lobsterboats.

It is usually the troublemakers that people hear the most about, not the good kids that do the right thing.

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.

[mollysmiles]

Peachie, I have to preface this by saying that if we were closer to your business all three of my teens would have put in apps with you guys!

I've definitely got some input on this one....

I have an 18 year old, a 17 year old, and a 15 year old.... (this doesn't quite apply to my 10 year old!)

The 15 year old can't seem to get a job where her older brother and sister are all ready working--they're great, show up on time, ask for very little time off, very flexible, etc. BUT, instead of hiring their sister, who is likely to work as well as they do, this business has hired people who don't show up, don't want to work, switch shifts a lot, and who live out of town and have to travel further to get to work. Meanwhile, she's still waiting at home for the call....

This business, though, while it does hire a lot of teens, has not been the greatest for my son, who asked for 4 specific days off out of the entire month of September. ALL the other days he was available and able to work. One of the days he asked for he was traveling to the orthodontist to have his braces removed, and the other 3 days he'd asked for because his girlfriend was coming to visit from Lewiston. He knew about this well in advance, and asked for these days 4 weeks ahead of time. There are 30 days in September, that means he was available to work 26 *other* days. He was scheduled to work one of those days he wanted off. He was told it was his job to find someone to work for him, and he tried, but teens can only work 20 hours, and taking his shift would have put the other guys over. He went in, and he worked those 4 hours, but certainly NOT because I made him OR wanted him to. I felt that he asked for time in advance, and that unavailable means unavailable. I felt that it showed that they don't value their employees. I didn't say a word, I didn't make a stink to that person at the business at all, but not because I didn't want to. He has asked for time again, just like he will every month as long as he's dating a girl so far away, and we'll see what happens this time.

Another business in town just lost one of their best teen employees. He had his wisdom teeth out, and two developed dry sockets. He called in sick, and two days later went in to pick up his check from the previous two weeks. They wouldn't give it to him. This is a franchise, they employ a lot of teens, but if the manager doesn't like you, for whatever reason, she'll make your time there miserable.

If this is how employers treat their teen employees I don't blame the teens for not working if they can talk their parents into providing them with spending money!! They have the rest of their lives to work, and they shouldn't have to deal with issues such as these. My kids are also involved in other activities--and finding an employer willing to deal with practices, games, and rescheduled events is not easy.

They only get to be a teen once, and I feel strongly that if they have to give up their activities to keep a job then maybe the job isn't worth it. They've got the rest of their lives to work, and frankly, the development of the "work ethic" comes before the teen years and is dependent upon parenting, not a part-time job outside the house.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

That's a bit of a broad generalization, I think. And just for the record.......won't be happening in my house when my kids reach that age. At 3, 6 and 7, my children already have specific chores and extra requests throughout the week that they are responsible for. Even now, when they want spending money for little things that are above and beyond the things we treat them to periodically, they have to earn it. I do hope more parents choose to instill such values into our future leaders.

It may not apply to your kids (and I hope it never does), but it has only recently come to my attention just how entitled this current teen generation is. There is a lot of truth to the claim that they have been spoiled, spend too much time with cell phones and iPods, and think that when they get a job (IF they get a job), they are being paid to show up only. If you expect any real work out of them, apparently you have to pay them more? I dunno, but looks like it!

True story: A set of parents, immigrants from Italy, worked to come to the USA and saved to start their own jewelry store. They did very well. Had 3 children; gave the oldest a BMW (no - he didn't work for it). On New Year's Eve, at 3 am, this 17-year old and his buddy were driving around the streets...doing what? This kid was not wearing his seat belt; his buddy was. Yup, an accident. Kid with the BMW is thrown from the car, lands on his head. Is life-star'd to a major hospital. The buddy, with the seat belt, has minor scratches. The injured boy is now little more than a vegetable. His parents are heart-broken...but where were the parents at 3 am? Why did the parents give this kid a BMW?

I know 2 kids who won't be joy-riding like this - the kid's younger sister and brother. They have been sufficiently chastened by the whole experience. Now, if we can just get them to work half as hard as their folks did, they'll be well on their way.

Life happens. Even to today's teens.

[deerislesmile]

I think it's worth mentioning that many teens are involved in extra curricula activities to an extent that many of us were not when we were in high school. Most teens that I know hold a job during the summer, so it's not as if they are totally not working. I don't know... I figure they have school at least 6 hours a day, usually 2 more hours of homework a night.. even without extra activities, they are putting in a full day.

I think it's pretty harsh to assume that because a teenager doesn't have a job, he/she is lazy. Maybe some of them actually save enough from their summer jobs for spending money through the year?

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by shadowfax1997

There are still many students that I work with in high school that do work and are successful at school. When I advised the key club, we had students that did sports, music, work, school, volunteered 10+ hours every week, and still had time for a social life and were top 10 in the school. I couldn't begin to keep up with all they do. A few years ago, I had a junior who had his own landscaping business. Truck was paid for, trailer, equipment, two kids worked for him. He probably made more than me. Dirty Jobs had an episode of two kids downeast who were lobstermen - 19 and 17 or something like that - who had two lobsterboats.

It is usually the troublemakers that people hear the most about, not the good kids that do the right thing.

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.

great post....

I know some kids from this area who have their owns boats, as well as work on other boats and/or clam. NOT easy work. I also know a kid here in Calais who has his own lawn business.... with that money he's bought his own equipment, his own truck, and has a lot tucked away in savings. My 15 year old has a boyfriend who works with his dad, has bought his own ATV, snowmobile, truck, and paid for his own driver's ed and class ring.

[Ezlivn]

Let me open another can of worms here....lololol

I have a freind of mine that owns a covenience store/lunch counter that offered a lady 30 hours of work at $10.00 per hour. She was to start on a friday.....she never showed up. When the owner called, the husband of the lady said.....she's not taking the job...we can do better on welfare. NO JOKE! This really happened.

I deal with alot of business owners in my job. I see this all the time. Businesses have to close early in the season due to lack of help. It's a problem that is not getting any better. I understand kids today have other things to do. And there are still GREAT kids out there.....but it just isn't like the ole days that's for sure.