The WM Parenting Connection: Facilitating "The Launch" ~ Teenagers Learn to Work

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Facilitating "The Launch" ~ Teenagers Learn to Work

11:35 PM | Posted by Shari

by Shari Downhill, Tween & Teens

The subject of a summer job has been coming up lately around our house. And I keep getting the same “look.”

“I don’t have TIME to work! I have a LIFE!” I am told. Work? Pisha!

True, my daughter is an active teenage athlete. However, “I have a life…” isn’t a good enough reason to ignore the important gathering of valuable working skills. Too soon she’ll be out in the job market competing with older, more experienced workers. I believe one of my jobs is to prepare her for her jobs.

Memories of my earliest employment gigs cause me to wince: Car hopping at Lloyd’s Burger Port, vacuuming out dirt and grime out of hardware bins at the lumberyard my father managed, babysitting (often for free after being taken home late at night with promises to pay that never materialized), planting trees in cold drizzling rain on steep, muddy ground, laying brick, and mowing lawns.

None of these early jobs made me rich. They did, however, give me a glimpse of how hard work can be for very little money. They also taught me how important it was to understand my own worth, to stand up for my rights, insist on being treated fairly and respectfully, and how to start handling money.

Where should teenagers start when there are already so many unemployed people out beating the pavement for jobs? Volunteering is an excellent way to build recognizable job related skills and experience. From summer camps to hospitals and elderly care facilities, there are ample avenues to explore.

Helping a teenager think through an employment launch strategy could take a number of tacks: First, ask the question “Why should they bother?” As I began discussing this (obviously to her) distasteful subject my teenager told me “It’s not like when YOU were a kid, mom.”

Yea? What’s THAT supposed to mean?

“Look….kid…there will be a day when you will WANT to feel the freedom of your own life. And there’s a giant chasm between that point, and where you stand now. Hint…the more you prepare now, the smoother your ‘baby bird launch’ will be. Trust me. You’re launching. Take note. Not launching is not an option.”

Now that I have your attention…

The Relevance of “The Launch”
I love Marshall Brain’s “Teenager’s Guide to the Real World” discussion of what it takes to start life “out there in the real world.” It’s exactly the kind of reality orientation teenagers need to start considering. Brain doesn’t beat around the bush. He lays out exactly what it takes to “find freedom.” According to Brain’s calculations…approximately $4,768 will about do it…for the first month.

“Most teenagers do not understand the importance of money,” Brain says in Teenagers’ Guide. “They also do not understand the amount of money that is required to live a normal life. This occurs for a very simple reason—parents provide teenagers with everything. Teenagers, therefore, live in a dream world. The moment you exit this dream world and have to live life yourself, your opinions about money will change dramatically.”

While Brain lays out a scenario faced by a teenager who decides to launch unprepared as a hypothetical example, by my memory, he’s not far off. However, this discussion does not have to take an antagonistic turn. Rather than a sermon, let the subject be an exploratory adventure. What kinds of things is your teenager interested in? This is an excellent time to focus on living a life of passion. Shining a light further down a path they’ve already expressed an interest in.

Art? Science? Medicine? Children?Animals?...

Online teen job center Snagajob.com suggests five options to start gathering job experience:

* Volunteer at the nearest PBS or Community television or radio station if you’re interested in a career in broadcast;

* Camps, daycares and church groups (i.e. vacation Bible School) provide ample opportunity to work with children. Experience in these areas can illustrate not only childcare abilities, but leadership and team building;

* Animal shelters and veterinarian offices can be great places for teenagers who want to work with animals, and gain ground level medical and administrative experience;

* Local museums and aquariums are options for teenagers who are interested in science and nature;

* Hospitals and geriatric facilities can provide an onramp for teens interested in careers in healthcare and medicine.

Just remember, we all started someplace. And, preaching the line “When I was your age…” won’t get you and your teenager where you want to go. Be patient. Remember your own experiences but don’t bludgeon with them. The first step will lead to the second step, and soon your darling will be moving down the path of self sufficiency.

The WM Parenting Connection

Facilitating "The Launch" ~ Teenagers Learn to Work

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Facilitating "The Launch" ~ Teenagers Learn to Work

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