As I prepare for the thrilling journey of parenthood, I’ve decided that there’s one essential lesson I want my children to learn: they need to get summer jobs as teenagers. My kids are still quite young—just 7 and 4 years old—so their summers right now are filled with fun activities like cartwheeling, swimming, and dreaming of their future lemonade stand.
When they hit 14, the age when they can legally work in Massachusetts, I’ll follow in my father’s footsteps. I’ll sit them down and talk about how to find their first summer job. Growing up in a comfortable household, I didn’t rely on summer jobs for financial survival. However, my parents, who came from modest backgrounds, understood the value of hard work and wanted to instill that ethic in me and my siblings. That’s where summer jobs come into play.
My first job was at a local ice cream shop, and let me tell you, my mop skills were less than stellar. This was a tough lesson for a straight-A student who had never faced criticism before. But at 14, I discovered that I wasn’t as exceptional as I thought—and I learned how to mop floors much better!
Before I landed my first teaching gig at 22, I held various jobs: I was a bank teller, a waitress, a preschool assistant, a shoe store employee, a nanny, and even a caretaker for a couple managing multiple sclerosis. Each of these roles taught me invaluable lessons: how to handle difficult customers (trust me, few walk into a bank in a good mood), how to change diapers, how to handle criticism (like when I mistakenly triggered an alarm at a shoe outlet), and the importance of punctuality (my morning shift was crucial for my clients). More often than not, earning money meant doing tedious work.
I want my children to experience these lessons firsthand. Comedian Max Westerman, an unintentional advocate for tough jobs, expressed a similar sentiment in an interview about his daughters. He mentioned the significance of having “crappy” jobs and doing them well. He emphasized that young people have been taking and consuming for years without contributing anything meaningful. This mirrors the sentiment in Marge Piercy’s poem “To Be of Use,” which highlights the human need for real work.
What about community service, you ask? My daughter plans to help build a school in Peru this summer. I’ve edited numerous essays on community service for various publications, and I can tell you that many come across as self-satisfied and more about enhancing college applications than genuine altruism. For instance, I once participated in a Habitat for Humanity trip, and while I was there to help, my contributions felt minimal—stapling wires is not exactly meaningful work.
It’s not that young people can’t do meaningful service; they absolutely can. However, they also need to understand the realities of being at the bottom of the job hierarchy. They should be the ones making copies, brewing coffee, and yes, mopping floors. They need to grasp how hard work translates into earning a dollar and learn to navigate challenging personalities. Regardless of the form, embracing responsibility and hard work is always a worthwhile endeavor.
In summary, I aim to give my children the gift of real work experiences. Whether it’s a summer job or community service, I want them to know the value of effort and the satisfaction that comes from earning their keep.
For those navigating the path to parenthood or considering home insemination, this is an excellent resource for understanding the options available. And if you’re looking for top-quality products, check out this reputable retailer for at-home insemination syringe kits.
Leave a Reply