Jobs for Teenagers

Right now it’s the worst I have seen it for teenagers looking for summer jobs or part-time work. Some girls are able to babysit and tutor and be CITs, but for boys it is much worse.

I have a suggestion: many seniors have difficulty mastering email, Facebook, smart phones and the internet and many freeze up at buying a computer or an iPad or a Kindle. Why not enlist your teen in instructing seniors in these matters? I would think a modest business could be built up this way, mostly by word of mouth. A car may be required. A little advertising might help too.

Even if the money is tiny, the resume will look good. In the old days, boys used to mow lawns, wash cars and deliver newspapers. Those days – when we actually had a community to provide the networking - are over. So focus on what the boys do know something about.

Patience and communication skills are required – and teen boys often lack them - but they can be learnt on the job. That includes teaching seniors how to communicate simply with family members, how to play games on the computer or smart phone and even how to download songs.

On a related matter, if you wonder what platform elderly parents should be spending their free time on, may I recommend an iPad above all the others. I have seen this at first hand - it worked wonders!

Photo: Wikipedia: John Blyberg