Where in the World is Bob Saget?

[JenniferS]

 

[Gabe1]

I fully respect your opinion on child labor. I think the legal age should be 13. The other thing (and this is coming from someone who's been applying for job after job recently) is that employers a lot of times won't hire until age 16. My suggestion to you is when your daughter is old enough to work, look for local places. They are more likely to hire younger. I agree that college is not the only path. My parents were adamant that I would go to college, and for me it's been the right path. I've got several friends who hated school and wanted the bare minimum. One of them has a job in HVAC already, and we only just graduated. My parents' reason for having me save when I was younger is so that I have some money put away for the future. I didn't even touch that money until I was 18, and I used it to buy electronics (they bought my laptop, but said anything else I had to buy myself). There is something to be said for working at a young age. Right now it's hard to get a job, and experience helps.

I think it is a double edge sword. It could help out financially but 13 is young and lack the maturity on a whole to deal with others that are so much older than they are. They are easily exploited. At 14 you can be hired but the hours are really short, shorter than most shifts. Believe it is never past 7pm. 15 is still pretty tight in the hours they can work, never past 9 in the summer, which is a problem for the waterpark my DD manages. Her guards are on stand til 9 and 15 year olds must be clocked out by then. They can't then participate in shut down. On school nights that can't work past 7pm and that rules out even their mandatory inservice hours. The do hire a few 15 year olds that will soon be turning 16. Many 14-15 year olds teach swim lessons as the hours jive better. Both of my kids worked at the Waterpark at age 15. That was soon enough for me and them. They never let loose of that employment through college and my DD is doing administrative work for the District now that she graduated plus managing. She pulls in quite a nice amount after all these years. It helps while she looks for a job in the directions she wants to go...doesn't have to just take anything.

And college was a path my children knew they were heading before they knew what College was. Was not open for discussion. They can do whatever they want after, but I believe so strongly in education, my Mom was a teacher and pounded it into my head. The job market is tight and even the jobs once available with a degree are going to those who have one in a lot of cases.

Have you tried your University? Both of my kids had jobs that were lined up while they were in college through the University. My son worked in the Office of Economics and my DD worked in the Recreation Department.

 

[Gabe1]

My ex and I are seriously considering sending the kiddo off to an all girls school in 2 years when she hits middle school.

Frankly, public education isn't bad (you know this). K-6 is very well done, and in most places 10 - 12 is as well. It's 7 - 9 where I think we lose them.

Middle school is too much change, too soon, too fast. I'm basing this partially on general observation, but also personal experience.

And that is why I believe the labor laws are what they are. Too much happening in their young life's at that point.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Have you tried your University? Both of my kids had jobs that were lined up while they were in college through the University. My son worked in the Office of Economics and my DD worked in the Recreation Department.

I have a guaranteed job tutoring next semester. They want me because I have four years experience tutoring; they just want me to finish accounting first so that I can tutor in that (a class I'm doing extremely well in). I applied for other on-campus jobs, but upperclassmen kept beating me out. So as long as I get an A or an A- (which my professor told me yesterday I would if I kept going on this track) then I can tutor next semester. I'm not worried about working this semester since basically I have that job next semester. I applied for other on-campus positions, but this one pays better and I kept getting pushed aside in favor of upperclassmen. I might apply for a temp position over the summer since I'll still be here.

 

[Gabe1]

That stinks. When I lived in NOVA (20 years ago) it was 14. I did one summer where I worked as a lifeguard at a community pool.

This concept that "children shouldn't work" bothers me. It's not that I propose she go off and work in a sweat shop 80 hours a week and neglect her studies, but I think producing money for herself, that is her money to spend as she sees fit, at around 12 - 14 is important.

I'd see it all the time when I was with CEC. Some Mom (normally a Mom) coming in to tell me her child couldn't work their 15 or so hour Sat and Sun based job anymore because their grades were slipping.

I wanted to slap them in the face and say "Well, what do they do from 3:30 when they get home until 6 or 7 when you get home? There are 168 hours in a week! Start teaching them some darned time management!" But, I never did. Just accepted their resignation and excuses.

Instead of having to beg me for that new thing my kid really wants, she buys it herself. Instead of having to ask her mom to get her the shoes she really wants that are way overpriced but stylish, she can save up and buy them herself.

I think this is a very empowering lesson, and one that is best taught when one is also becoming emotionally and physically an adult.

Will there be magical parental subsidies? Of course. The monies paid to her car would go into her college fund (or more accurately, the several funds I have set up to finance her college, since I'll likely by purchasing the car).

But, the point is, it teaches her valuable life lessons before she thinks they are burden and while she may gripe as a teen, far better to do that when she doesn't have to worry about a roof over her head then deal with her when she's 30 and has 2 kids and can't figure out how to provide for herself.

And note, to me, her "college fund" isn't a college fund at all. If she ended up not going to college out of high school, I'd support that. She better darned well be working and doing something she enjoys though! If she can come up with a solid business plan, I'd happily sink that money into that.

It's rather hard to explain, but I think these lessons are better taught when people are younger, than older. I mean, for goodness sake, we have people with Bachelors Degrees who can't file their own taxes...and it's much easier then back when I was 13 and my mom made me do it (and 14 and 15 and 16 and 17) and I had to do it all by hand because I had Schedule C filings, etc...

I also have been investing in IRAs since I was 13. And, that has left me a rather nice nest egg, though one I can't touch without penalty for a while, and is a great concept to pass on.

I learned how to invest, I learned about business, I learned how to scrape and survive. Since then, all the rest of life's troubles, at least when it comes to how to survive, haven't been all that difficult.

I'm glad I learned them young, no matter how much I thought my parents weren't being fair at the time.

I don't file my own taxes. And if I did I'd be leaving a lot of money on the table. My tax attorney is worth his weight in gold.

 

[englanddg]

And that is why I believe the labor laws are what they are. Too much happening in their young life's at that point.

I can understand that. However, I don't think it should apply to work. Learning the value (and reward) of work is a life lesson that is far more valuable then learning how to mate or master a video game, or gossip...or whatever.

Certainly dropping a child into full time work isn't a great idea at all, but I don't see how 20 hours or less a week, especially on weekends, hurts.

 

[Gabe1]

I have a guaranteed job tutoring next semester. They want me because I have four years experience tutoring; they just want me to finish accounting first so that I can tutor in that (a class I'm doing extremely well in). I applied for other on-campus jobs, but upperclassmen kept beating me out. So as long as I get an A or an A- (which my professor told me yesterday I would if I kept going on this track) then I can tutor next semester. I'm not worried about working this semester since basically I have that job next semester. I applied for other on-campus positions, but this one pays better and I kept getting pushed aside in favor of upperclassmen. I might apply for a temp position over the summer since I'll still be here.

Yeah it be nice to get some resume builders before you have to start applying for internships. My DS did his internship for a professional head hunter in the finance realm. These required internships are a bug in my bonnet but they are cleaning up that somewhat. Too many were unpaid and many literally manipulated the students. My son was paid poorly but at least he was paid. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Yeah it be nice to get some resume builders before you have to start applying for internships. My DS did his internship for a professional head hunter in the finance realm. These required internships are a bug in my bonnet but they are cleaning up that somewhat. Too many were unpaid and many literally manipulated the students. My son was paid poorly but at least he was paid. Hope it all works out for you.

My school is very good at getting us paid and unpaid internships, and I'm required to have a few. I'm working with the Office of Career services so hopefully I can do the CP, but that's still a bit down the road.

 

[Gabe1]

I can understand that. However, I don't think it should apply to work. Learning the value (and reward) of work is a life lesson that is far more valuable then learning how to mate or master a video game, or gossip...or whatever.

Certainly dropping a child into full time work isn't a great idea at all, but I don't see how 20 hours or less a week, especially on weekends, hurts.

Yeah that is a personal thing and every kid is different, some need that discipline sooner than others. I didn't see my kids loosing out on any work experiences by starting at age 15. I wasn't in any rush to toss them into the working world or have them be responsible for providing anything for themselves at an early age. I kinda looked at it as I brought them into this world and they were our responsibility to support. By 15 in the summer they needed something else to occupy their time. During the school year their education was their only job. They were in honors and AP courses that were time consuming. They were in sports that conflicted with work schedules and frankly once they hit that hormonal time of change, they were tired and required more sleep.

 

[Gabe1]

I can understand that. However, I don't think it should apply to work. Learning the value (and reward) of work is a life lesson that is far more valuable then learning how to mate or master a video game, or gossip...or whatever.

Certainly dropping a child into full time work isn't a great idea at all, but I don't see how 20 hours or less a week, especially on weekends, hurts.

And I believed school trumped work. I didn't have the same issues you have with my kids, they worked very hard at their education to get themselves into college. Neither were gamers, ever. With the courses they took they took they needed that time devoted to study. Just the novels alone took hours. Math courses took at least an hour a night if not more. They needed for their college apps some consistent activities that demonstrated commitment. They did student council, volunteered to tutor and both were involved in sports. Both had enough summer job experience from 15 on to land jobs in college, that was about 10 hours a week tops, pocket money.

 

[Gabe1]

My school is very good at getting us paid and unpaid internships, and I'm required to have a few. I'm working with the Office of Career services so hopefully I can do the CP, but that's still a bit down the road.

My DS did the CP between his Sophomore and Junior year. He loved it, I loved it. Recommend it highly. It is an amazing talking point during interviews too. It sets you apart in the pile of applications that lands on someones desk, if nothing else DS found it got you at least to getting an interview and interviewers were always curious. Disney still rocks when it come to leadership training.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Yeah that is a personal thing and every kid is different, some need that discipline sooner than others. I didn't see my kids loosing out on any work experiences by starting at age 15. I wasn't in any rush to toss them into the working world or have them be responsible for providing anything for themselves at an early age. I kinda looked at it as I brought them into this world and they were our responsibility to support. By 15 in the summer they needed something else to occupy their time. During the school year their education was their only job. They were in honors and AP courses that were time consuming. They were in sports that conflicted with work schedules and frankly once they hit that hormonal time of change, they were tired and required more sleep.

My parents had a similar point of view to yours. They wanted me to focus on going to school and helping them at home. I was in AP classes too as well as after school stuff, so they wanted me at home focusing on that, helping around the house and such. Having a brother on the autism spectrum does make a difference; I've been needed at home evenings and weekends so that my mom can work or run errands, or if they need to be gone they can. Trying to handle a child on the spectrum is sometimes a job in itself. I've had to deal with major meltdowns with a child that is almost as strong as I am. If we didn't have that and if I hadn't been so involved in after school activities, yeah, I would have gotten a job. Given that doing well on the APs meant 15 credits which is a semester's tuition, valued at $10,000+, I'd say it was worth it. During the summer I assisted my old swim teacher with her lessons on Mondays and I did stuff with my mom and brother the rest of the week, and was responsible for cleaning the house, plus various volunteering

My DS did the CP between his Sophomore and Junior year. He loved it, I loved it. Recommend it highly. It is an amazing talking point during interviews too. It sets you apart in the pile of applications that lands on someones desk, if nothing else DS found it got you at least to getting an interview and interviewers were always curious. Disney still rocks when it come to leadership training.

So I've heard. I'd love to do it in spring 2016 (Second semester of my third year). Added bonus...towards the end I'd turn 21 and my first legal drink could be in Epcot. Don't worry; I've got older friends living down there who I would take with me the first time
.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Going to bed, night!

 

[MinnieM123]

What browser are you using?

It's Firefox. Works fine on everything, just not that one pesky ad. I get plenty of Disney ads and they aren't any problem, just that one only.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Well, woke up, stomach was cramping horrible, I ran to the bathroom...and there went my plans for today

 

[MinnieM123]

Exactly why I don't use AdBlock. I'm not a premium member, so I feel it's only right to help pay in some way for the site I spend so much time on.

Your point is very sincere and well taken; we all really enjoy the site and want to keep it going. The ads, in general, don't bother me at all. What I take issue with is that one (only) that runs excessive script, and I only wish I could block that one.

Guess there's no way to block a single ad, without blocking all of them.

I appreciate your comments, as well as those from @Nemo14 , @unkadug , @acishere and @Soarin' Over Pgh , in trying to help me resolve this dilemma. Guess I'll just deal with the stupid ad for now and hope that Disney eventually removes it.

 

[MinnieM123]

Well, woke up, stomach was cramping horrible, I ran to the bathroom...and there went my plans for today

I hope you feel better soon.

 

[trr1]

Well, woke up, stomach was cramping horrible, I ran to the bathroom...and there went my plans for today

sorry to hear

 

[unkadug]

Hmm...interesting not a single "LIKE" from a male member of this forum....go figure

Lets try the DANCE VERSION:

 

[unkadug]

Gotta run - I'll explain later. Goodnight all!

Still waiting on that explanation...I couldn't sleep a wink last night worrying about your poor closet kids.