When I look back to my teenage days I believe the one thing that lead me to feel independant was having the ability to work at 13 I worked saturdays and sunday morning but I never thought and looking back still dont think I was exploited as it taught me so much.
At 15 I was allowed to work legally by obtaining a work permit to get a proper saturday job as it was known in those days
I really don't understand why the goverment done away with that scheme, I personally feel it made me understand the value of money and be responsible in the work place so aided my independance.
what are others views?
Are we dening our children an aspect of life that could hold them in good stead for adult hood?
Do you see it as exploiting children.
Things change.
My granddaughter has gone to nursery since she was 6 months old. It may be that others think that is not a good thing, but knowing children that do not go and others that do, I notice that the "nursery" children are much better at interacting with other children than those who were brought-up at home. A limited sample, but interesting.
Note: NOT a childminder but a well-organised nursery school with a "curriculum", based in an NHS trust site.
As for work-related education: It did me no harm (my insanity is a result of interacting with parents)
It is worth noting that children over 14 can do work, and some from 13. It depends on the work.
You should also note that many places will not employ children (under 16...and some cases 18) because of the requirement for enhanced-level crb checks for those working with children or vulnerable adults.
They can work in a shop under 16.
I'm pretty sure the employer has to do a risk assessment relative to the under-16 employee and reveal it to the parents/guardian/s of the child....and there may be local authority restrictions as well.
Not to mention the crb check which many small employers will not even consider because of cost. And larger employers will not consider because of the cost of relative to the rest of their employees.
They can work in a shop under 16, about 5 or 6 of the teenagers I work with in schools work weekends in a local indoor market. I think its great experience for them, Handling money, dealing with customers etc
i remember delivering newspapers from the age of 12 and am pretty sure that this age is still allowed as long as they have parental consent
Independance came from (but not limited to)
walking/cycling to school every day
playing out (cos game consoles didnt exist)
reading books (cos it was the best entertainment available)
team sports at school
paper/milk rounds from 12 yrs old
Dare I say that it should possibly be the parents that teach a child to be independent?
Hours of work
If you are aged 13 to 15 you can only work:
2 hours per school day, of which only 1 hour can be before school
between 7am and 8am or and 7pm weekdays
5 hours on a Saturday
a total of 25 hours a week
If you are aged 15 to 18 you can only work:
8 hours on a Saturday
35 hours a week
between 7am and 7pm
taken from a local authority web site
Phew ! where do i start ? ; the ability to get out into the countryside, lurchers, ferrets, punk, encouragement to think for yourself and not just follow fashion/peer group etc, hanging out with the local gypsy lads, reading, NOT watching shite on the telly the whole time or drossing around on play stations & computer games - get a real life not a virtual one !
a big part for me learning independence was the safety back then allowing me to go places on my own and having a paper round knowing i would be relativity safe. unlike today's society where we watch over our children for far longer in their life's than our parents watched over us. is it truly more dangerous to let a 13 year old deliver a newspaper today than it was in yesteryear or is it that it is more wildly and more nationally reported when something nasty happens to a child in today's world? therefore making us more cautious in letting our children grow more independent
As someone said is teaching independence the job of parents, of course it is, but also I believe in being involved in local community can help too.
I don’t think to have a society we should just make the children feel it is solely the responsibility of the parent, to do this to youth, I believe is wrong. I think we all have a role to play no matter who’s child/.
As it all goes towards building their self esteem and belief in themselves that they are accepted as part of society.
I think children feel accepted in life more when it goes beyond just the responsibility of the parent, and society see them as a worthy part of the bigger picture, and also helps to instil in them what has been taught at home.
There are many areas that help, I was aiming my thoughts on this area, employment.
I honestly do not know anyone U16 in London that works unless it is a paper round.
As 777 most supermarkets have age restrictions of 16+ 3 months, that used to be on your 15th birthday.
It is funny at 16 you can become a mother/ father legally but can’t work in most supermarkets,
No wonder youth of today are so confused at times.
I have always thought is would be safer to be in a supermarket dealing with people, managers, as someone mentioned trust in cash handling than to be wondering around the streets alone early in the morning.
I can not see what a paper round compared to a supermarket employment can teach you.
minx i think what the paper round did for me was .. time keeping and being responsible for my own money having earned it myself. i also had to give my parents 'rent' of 1/3rd my wages (i found out later she saved it and returned it when i eventually moved into my own flat) i also learned better road safety having to use my bike and also time management (finishing so i could get to school) these are jut a few things off the top of my head
I'd rather be doing a paper round than working in a supermarket...it was job and finish!
I'd rather my kids didn't work,i'd rather they got a decent nights sleep and not waking up at the crack of dawn to do a paper round just so they were fully rested for school(education is more important),I'd rather my kids didn't work at weekends,its the only time we as a family could do anything...they have the rest of their lives to work...i'd rather they just enjoyed life now before that all started....independance can be teached in many ways...i still think it will come naturally,with the guidance of the parents!
It may well not be 1973 and yes things do change....but for the better? I think not in a lot of cases.
What has the year got to do with anything? It is about kids being able to have some independance. A job teaches them about time keeping and there is nothing better than buying something you have worked hard for. Oh yes things have changed on that score, with freeloaders abound.
Yes " working class kids " are now going to University but.....no jobs to come out too. So kids of today would have no job so will rely on their parents, then they go to University for a four of five year jolly up, and then leave and cannot get a job. Ah yes can see how things have changed since 1973. :shock:
In my opinion life for kids is much better. The reason I believe more kids are going to Uni is that there are more kids getting better grades, because the system has made it easier, much easier. Things are much easier now all round with parents having their credit cards to finance them and their kids lifestyle. In 1973 that was not the case. Maybe that is why money was so much tighter then and parents did not have the money to spend 100 quid on a pair of trainers, unlike todays credit card parents.
1973 is relevant to me as it taught me many things about life, that to work taught me some very subtle things....money has to be earned.
I TRY to encourage my two teens to be independent by allowing them to make their own decisions, make their own mistakes and make their own successes without interference from me. Its quite difficult to back off and let them learn but I do my best.
Based on my own experiences I think that education has been seriously dumbed down. This is based on my own education and visits to two different High schools in recent years in respect of my children.
Homework - Teaches self discipline and organisation. I was scared not to do it, today there is no fear involved in not doing homework. I questioned this with a form tutor who told me that she does not set homework for her subject (maths) 'as such' but tells the puplis to spend twenty minutes each night reviewing the days lesson.
GCSE / O Level - No comparison. Having read mock papers I could do a GCSE paper today and get a pass. In English - no need now to understand Shakespeare, Browning, Wordsworth or any other classic author. I can still remember today, from more than 30 years ago, classic quotations and extracts from Robert Brownings modern (sic) poems, Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth night and Wuthering Heights. Kids these days rarely, if ever, read anything let alone the classics.
Languages - We left school speaking French or German and in some cases Latin as well to a reasonable standard - most uncommon these days.
History - I know very few (in fact none) 15 or sixteen year olds who have a grasp of modern history. Accepted that we all had choices and my choice was modern history. It does seem bizarre that these days children do not know about Arch Duke Ferdinand and the causes of WW1, not to mention Hitlers efect on modern Europe and the causes and after effects of WW2.
Sport was mandatory and team sports were actively promoted for the social benefit of the kids. These days sports cop out is just too easy and hence lazy, lardy school kids. My step daughter NEVER did a single sports lesson after she turned 13.
I do not believe from my experience that children leave school these days either academically or socially in a better position than when I left school. This is only my opinion and based on my experiences and maybe the points I have mentioned are broad generalisations but I bet I am not ALL wrong.
Sorry - just realised the serious thread drift..............
But really the type of education did promote independance. I gained a great deal from school as well as my part time job and my bicycle !!