I was laying lines blueberry raking at 14, and doing dishes in a restaurant at 16. I wanted money and it certainly taught me how difficult manual labor is without putting me in any real danger. The worst I got was bread cuts. I’d 100% put my daughter in the same situation when she’s older.
Comment on A literal child taking orders in a fast food restaurant in the US
crapwittyname@lemm.ee 9 months agoI respect that, but your 14 year old is probably quite unusual in that respect. To his credit, of course! Some kids mature faster. I have a 13 year old and a 16 year old and neither of them would be capable of paid work in my opinion. I love them from the bottom of my heart but they would crumble after a shift at BK
LemmyIsFantastic@lemmy.world 9 months ago
crapwittyname@lemm.ee 9 months ago
It’s really good life experience I think. I don’t want my kids missing out on it either.
ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I got my first job in ‘95 when I was 13. This was in a Toronto suburb at a computer shop and it was awesome although only got $5 an hour and had to stay in the back mostly shrink-wrapping a million cd cases. There was a cute 16 year old older girl at the register that I still remember lol.
crapwittyname@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Jeeziz. We’re about the same age and I was unable to even make a sandwich at that age I think. Mind you, I bet 13 year old you was ecstatic about that 5 dollars an hour in 1995.
My first job was call centre work at 16. I answered an advert in the local paper. Trying to use a script to swindle old ladies out of their pension for a commission, it was horrifying. I remember thinking “is this what adults do for a living? Cheat each other??” Looking back, I wasn’t that far off in a lot of cases I think.
ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Oh man that’s a terrible first job lol. I would absolutely hate doing that.
By the time I was 16 I had moved to the states and got a job at KB Toys at the mall. They paid 7.75 an hour which was better than the rest of the mall at 5.25 an hour. Mall was the place to be though!
crapwittyname@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I liked service work. I tended bar and worried in kitchens for years as I got my qualifications. I sometimes think everyone should have to do retail or service for a bit so they can meet as many different types of people as possible. I work in research now, and I see a lot of the graduates coming in in their twenties and they don’t understand shit about his the world works, or how people work. I think there’s a lot of value in the experience you get in those jobs that people look down their noses at. If it paid the bills as well as science and engineering, I would’ve stayed.