It Happened...She Got a J-O-B!!

     We have been strongly demanding encouraging Megan to get a job for at least the past year.  We have a nice assisted living facility located within walking distance of our house.  She has volunteered there for years as a Bingo helper, my kids used to trick or treat there when they were younger, they have had Girl Scout events there, and many of our neighbors have worked there at various times.  It was always the plan for this to be a first job largely due to the convenience, but working with the seniors seemed to me to be a nice bonus.  Let's face it, she has been around her fair share of seniors lately because of her grandma being at a similar senior facility and living with us previously.  Early on, I was disappointed to learn that her getting a job was not going to be something she was in a hurry to do.  So, since it seemed to be a bad word to my dear teen, I started spelling it in front of her..."When are you going to fill out that j-o-b application?" etc.  (There's a scene in the movie Daddy Day Care where Eddie Murphy says, I lost my j-o-b, and I thought it was a funny scene.  However, my kids don't think I am as funny.  But, I digress.)

     Truth is, the majority of kids in high school these days are super busy!  With a heavy class schedule and extra curricular activities and clubs, AP exams, etc..., there is little time to commit to a job.  At the same time, this girl also wants lots of things that cost money.  Clothes, movies, plays, school spirit wear, field trips, etc...  Finally, the Big Kahuna of field trips came along...the band is planning a trip to Hawaii next April.  She wants to go....badly!!!  You may recall she went to Disney World last April.  These trips are great experiences.  However, I think it is important that kids lose some of their "entitlement" issues with parents and actually learn to work for and appreciate what it takes to make a few dollars.  So, we told her if she wants to go to Hawaii she has to contribute towards the trip.

 

 
     Finally, that application that she picked up months ago got filled out and delivered.  Very quickly she got a call, went for an interview, got a drug test (yes, she passed!), filled out forms, and started working about a month ago.  Interestingly, even though she said "nobody she knows has a job", she knows several people from school who work there, too!!  Hmmmm... 

Sometimes teenagers only let you take pictures if you sneak them!!



Home From Her Interview
(Note the smudge marks all over my window from my dog's nose!!)

Back to Fill Out Paperwork

     She got the job as a server in the dining room.  Her uniform is black pants and a cute little tuxedo shirt with a bow.  The hours are good -- typically she works about three hours and is gone from about 3:15 - 6:45 pm.  First she worked three days in a row, for training.  Now she is in the groove and has her own tables to serve.  She has not complained much, but she is tired!!  Megan is also taking a Personal Fitness class for six weeks this summer from 8:00-11:30 am.  Because she is in band and takes a foreign language class, she cannot fit her personal fitness requirement into her normal school schedule.  Therefore, many of the kids are taking it in summer school.  And yes, we have to pay for that, too.  Some day, I will do a post on how much it costs to go to public school.  Because of the lack of funding these days, public schools cost waaaaaayyyy more than they did when I was a kid!!!  Oh, and I get to drive her there at 7:15 am...in a carpool.

     Although it is only a 5-7 minute walk, she has quickly learned to bum a few rides from us.  However, most of the time she will be walking.  I hope she learns to appreciate the value of the dollar, remains as responsible at work as she has been at school, develops a good work ethic, learns to work with a variety of people, and does it all with the grace, care and compassion I know she has!

 

  

     Me and her dad are proud that she has taken this on.  We know how busy she will be in the Fall and feel that if she gets into the swing of the job this summer, it will make it easier to balance her schedule in the Fall.  She has already had two "paydays" and have come up with a system of how much she will save for the trip per paycheck and how much she should use as spending money.  I'm trying not to think about how far away she will be -- Hawaii?? -- and focus on the great experience, memories made, and things she will learn visiting Pearl Harbor, the volcanoes, culture, geography, etc...  It seems fitting that her first real job (aside from babysitting), is at Independence Village...as this is yet another step towards my little baby girl becoming just that -- independent!!!!