Get a job!

This is an excellent letter, and I am hopeful that journalists, citizens, young people, and elected leaders will take these thoughts to heart.

Oh dear! That just wouldn't do, a job would interfere with them playing their video games, running the streets vandalizing other peoples property, dealing drugs.........
I'm not saying that all of today youth are bad or lazy but way to many of them get away with way too much now days. Shoot I was lazy when I was a kid, but guess what? Every Saturday I knew I had grass to cut, cars to wash, gardening to do. Try and get a kid off the couch from in front of the TV today to do any of that and your look at like an alien. I totally agree with this letter by the way. Kids do a little to much chill’ in these days. GET A JOB !

Hey, look at the other "down" side you might actually have your OWN money to spend on Video Games, Pizza, friends, or even saving up to for a car or college education. Not Mom & Dad's. Besides, learning that thing called a "work ethic" might help you in the future, you might even find something you like.

Good letter. And,, right on the money. When I was a kid I worked 2 jobs, made my own cash, never got into trouble and bought a new car when I was 16. That's a work ethic. I don't see it today. Kids get handed everything and they appreciate nothing. You see it in the fresh-out-of-college types. They think they will be starting as a manager making $100K. Most of them can't even spell. Bleak future for the world I think.

Nice letter but your not very PC about it. I mean where else will they learn the Nanny state mentality if they can't get someone else to give them a place to go or give them things to do. Glad to see some people still believe the best thing to do for your kids is to teach them that working for something is better than not working for it.

This is a great letter with many good WHOLESOME suggestions of what teens can do other than "chillin'". Chilling is just a lot of idle time to dream up ways of getting into trouble. I don't think taxpayers need to build teens a million dollar air conditioned building to just go "chillin'" in. This letter writer offers up sensible, constructive uses of time.

I agree that a job is a good way to teach kids responsibility and to keep them from getting bored (and thus, doing drugs, vandalizing, etc. because of their boredom). I had a job doing little things for my dad's business when I was about 11, I started babysitting when I was 12, and I got a "real" job with a payroll when I was 14. I'm no stranger to working for my own things and my own money.

However, I do think that kids need to do things other than just work and school. Kids need to have time with their friends and that includes places to hang out. It would be great if they could just hang out at each other's houses like I did with my friends when we were kids but a lot of parents work outside the home and a lot of kids can't be trusted in a house by themselves. It would be nice to see a safe, regulated place for kids to hang out when they aren't working or in school.

They want to much for nothing! They just built them a ymca for gods sake!

What dad?

Smithfield Bill wrote:

Hey, look at the other "down" side you might actually have your OWN money to spend on Video Games, Pizza, friends, or even saving up to for a car or college education. Not Mom & Dad's. Besides, learning that thing called a "work ethic" might help you in the future, you might even find something you like.

As a top-3 student taking six AP classes at Heritage High School, I don't have the time for a job. Quit stereotyping.

student wrote:

As a top-3 student taking six AP classes at Heritage High School, I don't have the time for a job. Quit stereotyping.

Then you also don't have time to "chill" and get in trouble. If you do, then get a job!

CNU Student wrote:

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Then you also don't have time to "chill" and get in trouble. If you do, then get a job!

It's one thing to have time to "chill." It's another thing to use that time poorly and get into trouble. Not every kid who has some free time and time to "chill" is a bad kid who does stupid things and gets into trouble. Don't stereotype every jobless kid who has some free time as a troublemaker. A lot of my classmates weren't allowed to have jobs during middle and high school but they didn't get in trouble either. I'm not saying it doesn't happen but there are some genuinely good kids out there who just want to hang out with their friends.

they would be the same ones screwing up your order at ANY fast food.too damn stupid to cut their grandmama grass

student wrote:

As a top-3 student taking six AP classes at Heritage High School, I don't have the time for a job. Quit stereotyping.

Congratulations on your class ranking and taking your studies seriously but...
I graduated #7 in a class of 347 students. I took all "college prep" (what is now referred to as AP) classes and worked two jobs at the same time as well as performed all requisite tasks to become an Eagle Scout. So don't tell me that you ONLY have time for studies. If so, then you've got a long road ahead of you in college and your professional career.

student wrote:

As a top-3 student taking six AP classes at Heritage High School, I don't have the time for a job. Quit stereotyping.

As "Sam I Am" also stated, many people have taken advanced high school classes as well as a full load in college and managed to work. When I was in school I worked part time jobs. During the summers and holidays, I worked full time. My parents didn't have the means to send me to college but I found a way through loans and work. So it can be done. But thats another forum. Point is....most kids just dont want to work as long as mommy and daddy keep giving handouts. Find something useful to do with your sparetime......it will help build character.

Ok. Sam, sorry, but "College Prep" is equivalent to Honors, not AP. Judging by your condescending comments, you're probably at least forty years old. Back then the only "AP" classes were Physics, Calculus, and English. I spend 35 hours a week in class plus 15 for soccer, and another 10-15 for homework. That's an average week. If you think that's enough time for a job, then you're not thinking straight. You people need to go back to your daily habit of telling kids to get off your lawn and stop making fools of yourselves on the internet.

Maybe you need to stop playing soccer and get a job. If you have time to post here then you have time for a job, Got it, punk? Well do you?

student wrote:

Ok. Sam, sorry, but "College Prep" is equivalent to Honors, not AP. Judging by your condescending comments, you're probably at least forty years old. Back then the only "AP" classes were Physics, Calculus, and English. I spend 35 hours a week in class plus 15 for soccer, and another 10-15 for homework. That's an average week. If you think that's enough time for a job, then you're not thinking straight. You people need to go back to your daily habit of telling kids to get off your lawn and stop making fools of yourselves on the internet.

Eastwood wrote:

Maybe you need to stop playing soccer and get a job. If you have time to post here then you have time for a job, Got it, punk? Well do you?
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There's nothing wrong with taking some time to play sports. It's not doing drugs, drinking, vandalizing, or causing trouble. Let's not criticize the kids who aren't causing the problems. If he doesn't have time for a job, he doesn't have time for a job. At least he's not causing problems.

Eastwood wrote:

Maybe you need to stop playing soccer and get a job. If you have time to post here then you have time for a job, Got it, punk? Well do you?
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You need to get a job. If you have time to post here, you have time for a job. If you have time to eat and sleep, you have time for a second or third job. There should be no moment in your life where you are not working. Get it, asshole?

I must admit I've spoiled my two adult sons (one's in college) and do nearly all the yard work myself. I need the exercise, I rationalise. On the other hand, I've hired neighborhood kids a few times, and had my sons work alongside with us. It's not easy to find kids to work these days. If one would just ask, I'd likely hire him/her to weed and mulch my front shrubs.