Parents stop mollycoddling your children!

I should also mention that these teens ARE going into businesses and knocking on doors, only to be told they must fill out applications online. No one in the businesses will even speak to them without that online application.

So basically, the youth of today are dealing with a different experience then we did even 10 or 20 years ago due to technology. Maybe we could remember that instead of judging the parenting of strangers.

I am in the US, not the UK, so I am not sure it can be compared. But I do have a teenaged job seeker, aged 18, who can not find a job through traditional methods. AI now reviews applications and resumes and weeds the majority of people out before the hiring company even sees it, leading to lots of open jobs and employers saying no one wants to work, and tons of job seekers saying no one is hiring despite for hire signs at the business.

Here is what this has led to:

- The best way for teens to get jobs in my area is networking.
- Teens do not typically have the networking outreach that a parent has, and most do not have Facebook accounts. Facebook is where the local groups are for networking purposes. Snapchat, Instagram and the like do not use the group set up nearly as well as Facebook does.
- I myself have considered putting the word out my teen is looking on Facebook, because he has been looking since January and is not getting hired. This is happening to teens all over my area, not just my child.

I live by the saying that everyone should Mind Their Own Motherhood. We have no idea what these teens have done to find jobs. We have no idea what happens house to house. Some parents could be coddling their child, others, like me, are doing everything we can to help give them a step up to become established adults that are not a drain on the system. We are not coddling our children, we just don't want them to live with us forever.

And, I suppose, that the people complaining the most loudly would complain even louder if these teens were a drain on the system due to not being able to find a job in the first place.

Simply put, how does a parent who is helping their child become a responsible adult due to market conditions affect you really? Unless you are a hiring manager, I cant think of how it would.

Primrose53

I have long thought kids are molly coddled.
A prime example recently was someone in my extended family whose teenage daughter rang her mid morning to ask if she could drop her a jumper in to school as she was cold. It was 22C! She was at our house which is 14 miles from the school but she lives 24 miles in the OTHER direction.

I told her not to and tell the girl next time make sure you have a jumper with you. She was daft enough to do it though! I could not believe it. 🥺

Now that I totally agree is molly coddling. I would have felt exactly as you do about it.

I have long thought kids are molly coddled.
A prime example recently was someone in my extended family whose teenage daughter rang her mid morning to ask if she could drop her a jumper in to school as she was cold. It was 22C! She was at our house which is 14 miles from the school but she lives 24 miles in the OTHER direction.

I told her not to and tell the girl next time make sure you have a jumper with you. She was daft enough to do it though! I could not believe it. 🥺

I am absolutely sure that there have always been many youngsters who didn't have the confidence to put themselves forward in their teens. I should know, as I was one of them!

I really wish that more people could accept that everyone is different and just because some were / are able to do things a certain way, that doesn't mean that everyone else could do the same if only they could be bothered. It genuinely isn't that simple.

If kids get into the world of work does it matetr who found them the job?

My first job was filling in for my sister when she was on holiday at the local supermarket.

It made me realise I never wanted to work in a supermarket again, but in those days there were pages and pages offering jobs for school leavers in the local papers.

How else are kids going to find work these days?

They can't win!

Kandinsky

YABU.
I often enquired at supermarkets etc for my kids when they were looking for P/T work. I was just helping.

Did it work? Did your help get them a job?

Supermarket jobs usually require some initiative and the ability to communicate with strangers.

In the early 70s, my mum organised my vacation jobs. Though in my defence, I was 50 miles away at college.

My granddaughter has just got herself a job at our local farm shop/ adventure trail . Her mum helped her a bit with the logistics but she found it by herself and when they started sending her stuff online to reply to she did all that herself. It’s a 5 minute trip for one of the grownups to drive her but she often walks home when she is not against the clock. I’m proud of her .

Times have changed I was working full time at her age (16) but things are very different for teenagers now and I too think Covid has had a big impact on children’s perspectives and mental health

I found all my own jobs, from age 15 chambermaiding to waiting on at a restaurant through to proper work. My daughter did the same.

I appreciate that times change but no employer sees initiative and application as bad traits (from the potential employee not the parent on their behalf, I hasten to add!)

It probably depends on where you live . It is extremely difficult for youngsters to find employment where I live. My granddaughter’s friend has just got herself a job working in a bar from 8 pm till 3am. A pity she did not have more parental support as to my mind that is unacceptable and dangerous. My granddaughter herself applied for a job in an Art Gallery but was told that they were looking for someone with nine year’s computer experience which to me is an underhand way of wanting to employ someone older(ageism in reverse). Her twin has applied( on his own initiative) for a job as a lifeguard but it is a zero hours contract so not very satisfactory. I suppose that what I am saying is that it is not easy for youngsters to find temporary or permanent employment these days and sometimes they need a bit of parental support in whatever form. Yes my children all found their own employment but times have changed.

DGS has spent time since Easter applying for jobs in person and by letter. Jobs are few and far between and of the last few jobs, he said they were giving them to older applicants, partly because they had experience. One lady told him she was applying because she didn’t get her pension for another few years.

Tbh, both mine had help with their first "Saturday" jobs.. DS helped term time in the College Canteen, the Principal was a father of one of his old School chums. After he left he did get a job in Asda himself, that was a good little job as they transferred him term time to his local one near his Uni and back when he come home in the holidays.
My DD worked at the local leisure centre as a helper at weekends for Children parties, she was recommended by our next door neighbour.
I clearly remembered my Grandmother instigating my Saturday Job, she went and asked the store Manager of a newly opened Waitrose during a shopping trip, I was so embarrassed but he offered me the job there and then. I worked there until I left school.
A little help isn't a bad thing.

I agree, Georgesgran. Not only that, but with zero hours contracts the 'full time' staff cover all the hours between them, so Saturday jobs don't really exist any more.

I think things have changed enormously since my (our) children found their Saturday/holiday jobs. It’s not only the loss of pubs and restaurants, the High Street and some shopping centres have been adversely affected by the loss of some traditional names.
Both my DDs found their jobs themselves, but I had to drive DD1 to work and back at House of Fraser every time, as it would’ve taken her hours by bus. She’d been one of only two applicants out of 30 to be taken on.
DD2 ended up at M&S where she was quite ‘famous’ because of her wheelchair and stunning looks!

I was discussing this with my grandson recently, he had just finished a short stint carpet cleaning, a job he found himself. He has been looking for something more regular, he is just going into sixth form and has finished school for the summer . Unfortunately there is little traditional holiday work about. Pubs and restaurants are closing in great numbers, shops are also diminishing and reducing staff due to increased staffing costs. He is willing to do anything but what doors does he bang on? Facebook is a good place as often small employers use local pages for advertising but as others have said, he doesn’t use it so Mum is probably going to step in to ask on his behalf.

Doodledog

Elowen33

Young people do not use Facebook so it makes sense that parents are asking via their accounts.

Agree. And local pages are usually ‘members only’, and young people don’t join. Having said that, I was always surprised at how many parents came along to university open days. I can understand driving children who can’t drive themselves, but not coming along to the talks, asking questions and generally behaving as though they were applying themselves.

We were asked to go along to University when youngest DGC went for interview (not the others, though) - I think they wanted to interview us too!

Yes, I've seen several requests from parents for work for their teenagers on the local FB page, but I've also seen requests from teenagers too.

All of mine found their own jobs when they were at school, college and university, delivering papers, waiting on, working in a local supermarket etc although I did say not to take on too much as well as exams. They propbably ignored that advice and seem to have succeeded well in their careers.

DGS and DGD both have jobs while at school and college.

When my eldest son decided A levels were not for him he spent several days looking through the Yellow Pages for local building companies. He whittled it down to area as he was too young to drive and wrote to them all. He had a reply from a builder who gave him a job and allowed him 2 days a week at College so he could get his Construction qualifications. Fast forward 28 years and that start has resulted in the career he has today. All his own efforts from the word go.

Our GD dropped her cv off at the local burger bar.

They took her on as a pot washer, she progressed to waitressing, and is now a prep chef.

She’s 17, doing her A levels.

YABU.
I often enquired at supermarkets etc for my kids when they were looking for P/T work. I was just helping.

Elowen33

Young people do not use Facebook so it makes sense that parents are asking via their accounts.

Agree. And local pages are usually ‘members only’, and young people don’t join. Having said that, I was always surprised at how many parents came along to university open days. I can understand driving children who can’t drive themselves, but not coming along to the talks, asking questions and generally behaving as though they were applying themselves.

I don’t think people realise what damage was done to young people under lockdown.
A very formative time was taken away from them.

greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_pandemic_hurt_teens_how_can_we_help_them_recover

Young people do not use Facebook so it makes sense that parents are asking via their accounts.

A few years ago we ran a restaurant and employed quite a few youngsters, mostly girls a few boys, in many cases it was the parent who approached us first.
Most children at 16 were just to shy and lacked the confidence to go alone, it was mostly weekend and holiday work, they were paired up with a more experienced girl and they gained confidence quickly. They were very good most just needed that extra bit of support going for their first job, I’m sure having got used to working and interacting with adults next job they went solo.