jobs for 14 year olds question

[SparklyUnicorn]

The law in our state says 14 year olds can work.  It's limited in terms of amount of time and they can't touch machinery and stuff like that.  So in theory one could work in a grocery store bagging, for example.  But then I wonder does any store actually hire 14 year olds.  I have my doubts. 

 

Does anyone have any BTDT with stuff like that? 

[regentrude]

Not grocery store, but the company where DS works hired him at 15, and they have younger teens working as well.

Small local company, company owner herself was a homeschooler and hires only by word of mouth/acquaintance. 

Your DS should network a bit and look for unique small business opportunities; I'd imagine there would be more potential than with larger employers.

[Lady Florida.]

The law in our state says 14 year olds can work.  It's limited in terms of amount of time and they can't touch machinery and stuff like that.  So in theory one could work in a grocery store bagging, for example.  But then I wonder does any store actually hire 14 year olds.  I have my doubts. 

 

Does anyone have any BTDT with stuff like that? 

 

Very few do because they don't want to deal with child labor laws. At least that's what ds was told when he was looking for a job at 14. He did eventually get a summer job at Dairy Queen, but there were some things he wasn't allowed to do. It's really going to depend on the company if they want to hire anyone that age. They have to give them breaks more often and the hours especially on school nights, are limited. Ds' Dairy Queen manager said the school hours law applied to him even though he was homeschooled, unless we went through some paperwork. Since his was a summer job and he knew it would end when school started we never looked into it.

[catz]

That's the state law here too but almost no one will hire a 14 year old.  There is one local company that reached out to homeschooling 14 and 15 year olds to work lunch shift.  And I think they can only work like 2.5-3 hours in a row on week days.   My 15 year old has a couple friends doing that but dang, those are our best schooling hours plus the driving for me.  The schedule totally stinks IMO. 

 

16 year olds are actually lucky to find something.  We're close to college campuses so there is competition from young adults.  I'm hoping boy next summer can find something seasonal as a 16 year old.

[....]

Does it need to be a paying job?  My 14 year-old has two volunteer jobs.  She works one morning a week with a physical therapist who uses animal-assisted physical therapy (equestrian) for special needs adults.  She also works one morning a week at a pit bull rescue - alternating between helping at the location (walking the dogs, playing with the dogs, filling water, cleaning cages) and working their adoption events at the pet store.

 

We had a really hard time finding those volunteer jobs.  We searched far and wide and most places wouldn't take anyone under 16.  I have to drive an hour round trip for the pit bull rescue.  They were just desperate.  A couple of places wanted a parent with them at all times (which is ridiculous - I'm not going helicopter around my teens all day).

 

Edited to add:  You wouldn't believe this, but one place actually wanted people to pay a fee for their kids to volunteer there.   :svengo:

Edited September 13, 2016 by Evanthe

[TranquilMind]

My then 15 year old found a job in an ice cream shop for the summer.  Just go talk to people in person.   That's how she did it, going to several places close enough to arrive on a bike. 

[JoJosMom]

A number of businesses here locally will hire 14 year olds; grocery, fast food, restaurants.  DD's bestie is 14 and a seating hostess at a restaurant.  (Mom's the manager, though.)

 

I would second the suggestion above about volunteering as an option, too.  DD, also 14, has been a reading tutor at the library for several months and will likely pick up a math student in the next few weeks.  It provides some of the learning benefits of a regular job (responsibility, scheduling, time management), with a bit more flexibility added in.

[whitestavern]

When I was 14 I needed a job to pay for boarding my horse. There were very few opportunities available but nursing homes were one of the allowable places. I got a job doing housekeeping and shortly after my friend got a job doing laundry. Neither were easy or pleasant but I got paid well, learned a lot, and it helped shape my character quite a bit too. Not sure if they still hire 14 yos--this was back in the 80s.

[The Girls' Mom]

I've heard of a few stores around here hiring baggers at 14. (also legal to work at 14 here)  However, even my 16 year old is having a hard time finding a job that isn't fast food because no one wants to hire under 18.  

[bettyandbob]

Years and years ago the movie theatre near me hired 14 year olds (and a lot of others). That was 2008. Now it's all adults. 

 

The only place around here that hires 14 year olds is the local summer swim league has a few "junior coach" positions. A long time ago some camps had "assistant counselors" who were paid. Now parents have to pay to enroll teens as "assistant counselors" so it's not a job. 

 

The only place I know that hires 15 year olds is the home owner's association pools in the summer for lifeguarding. They give the new lifeguards extremely limited hours, but if they come back the next year, they can get better positions. 

[rebcoola]

I haven't BTDT but I know our gymnastic gym has an internship program that you can start at 14 that takes like 6wks and than you can coach.   I believe it is hard for many business to work around the limited availability it works for the gym because they schedule 1 class at a time (45-90 minutes) rather than a shift.

[nevergiveup]

Piece work picking vegetables for a farmer.

Growing/selling flowers or vegetables at a farmer's market.

My son did both of these.

[City Mouse]

In my by small tourist town 14 yr olds do get summer jobs because there are not enough people for all the jobs that are available.

Moslly they do bag groceries at out little store, scoop ice cream, or wash bus tables at local restaurants.

When I lived in a big city, I never heard of 14 yr olds with real paying jobs only stuff like mowing yard, babysitting, pet sitting.

[SebastianCat]

I asked at our local grocery store, and they only hire 14 year olds occasionally. Most who apply are told to come back when they turn 15, when their hours are less restricted. I'm not sure why they hire the few 14 year olds that they do.

 

My DS is 14 and will be working as a referee for our church recreation league this fall. It's just one day per week, for no more than 5 or 6 hours. His first games are this weekend, but I think it will be a good motivator for him once he starts bringing in actual money beyond his allowance.

[nd293]

We're not in the US, but it's about the same age. Kids do work in grocery stores and fast food places. I heard of someone who got a job with the local newspaper sorting competition entries or something like that.

[Garga]

Depends on where you live. My nephew works in a busy suburb of a big city. He couldn't get work until he was 16.

 

But here in our small town, lots of 14 year olds get hired at McDonalds, the local diner, and the local grocery store.

 

You'll just have to have him put in applications and see if anyone bites.

[Guest]

Grocery stores here only hire 18+, unless it is a student in a partnership program with the school district. The mom and pops only hire relatives. 14s can be CITs for the town sponsored summer camps, and that leads to a paid position the following summer.

[Amy in NH]

My 14 yo works Saturdays at an auction house bringing forward the next items to be sold and helping customers out with their purchases.

[Rachel]

The Y and parks and rec around here hire 14 year olds. Usually it's to teach swim lessons or life guard but some teens help coach or work in the childcare. One homeschool mom currently has her 14 and 16 year old life guarding at the pool, they go in at 5:15 in the morning. I personally wouldn't want to do that but it works for them.

 

I worked at a local bakery for a brief time, they hired a 14 year old to wash dishes on Saturdays.

 

My kids are 8 and 6, they currently have a job taking the neighbor's dog out weekdays, it pays pretty well considering their ages.

[J-rap]

My 14-year-old was a busboy at the local coffeeshop, just over the lunch hour.

[Lizzie in Ma]

It wasn't easy but at 14 my youngest worked as a maid at a local motel and retail at The Spice Merchants.

[Reefgazer]

Farm work will hire 14 year olds.

[Jenny in Florida]

I know the major grocery store chain here does hire 14 year olds as baggers. 

 

However, I'm curious about the answer to a question a previous poster asked: Does your child specifically need/want to work for pay, or would a volunteer "job" meet his needs for now?

 

My son started volunteering a fairly substantial number of hours at about that age, divided between two local organizations. During summers, he was a junior counselor for day camps run by a theatre. During the academic year, he did tours and demonstrations at the science museum. He racked up a few hundred hours of volunteer work, which gave him an "employment record" and references to cite when he was ready to look for a paid job.

 

Having watched some of his peers stuggle to find that first paid job, while mine had no trouble landing interviews and was offered the first job he actually interviewed for, I'm pretty convinced that having some solid experience to put on his resume -- even though it was unpaid -- may have been a contributing factor.

[Lady Florida.]

I know the major grocery store chain here does hire 14 year olds as baggers. 

 

 

 

Publix? Ds applied there when he was 15 and they said they do hire 14-15, but they'd rather not because of the laws. They have to give fewer breaks once you reach 16. If someone older applies they will likely get the job instead.

 

They thanked him for being on time for his interview and said most interviewees arrive late. But I guess that wasn't enough because he didn't get the job.   :glare:  

 

 It's probably up to the individual store managers, but that's how it was here. Also, that was just after there had been a huge layoff at Kennedy Space Center, so they weren't lacking for applicants. Yes, we had space engineers applying to be baggers - anything to bring in a regular paycheck.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Lady Florida.

[Jenny in Florida]

Publix? Ds applied there when he was 15 and they said they do hire 14-15, but they'd rather not because of the laws. They have to give fewer breaks once you reach 16. If someone older applies they will likely get the job instead.

 

Yes, Publix.

 

Interesting, because I have personally spoken to a good number of 14-year-old baggers over the years.

[Butter]

It's often very hard to find places that will hire 14 no matter what the legal age to work is.  My oldest son is turning 15 in a couple weeks and the taekwondo place we go to has said they are trying to get permission from corporate to hire another teen.  His sister already works there and has for one year (she was 15 1/2 when they hired her).  Company policy is 15+ only.  My daughter tried to get a job at 14 and 15 (before getting hired at taekwondo) and she was told by everywhere to come back at 16.