HELP! I have 3 children that are each 5 yrs apart and have to keep them busy. I enrolled the 6 & 11 yr old in Boys and Girls Club, so they are taken care of, but my 16 yr old is complaining of boredom and being "stuck" in the house. It is hard to keep her entertained with things SHE likes. Does anyone have any recommendations? Even a job would help. She already applied at Forever 21 and Tropical Smoothie, but they are probably not hiring right now. PLEASE HELP!!!!
If you're in the east valley, I would suggest she look into applying at Golfland/Sunsplash in Mesa. They hire seasonally- lifeguards as well as other positions.
M.,
Sounds like a typical teenager who needs something "Productive" to do. Since jobs are hard to come by today, she might look for some volunteer opportunities. The libraries usually have summer reading programs and with their tight budgets, use volunteers; she might even talk to the Boys Girls clubs where your younger children are. They could probably use volunteers. Food pantries, care/nursing centers can always use volunteers. While none of these will make her any money, they will give her some valuable experience that will look good on her resume.
Good luck. It will be worth the effort to find her something that will make her feel productive. Congrats to you for realizing that.
I read a reply that really irritated me it said.... "Why do you have to entertain a 16 y/o LET GO MOM". Give me a break you are her parent forever I don't encourage you to let go one bit. You are there to be her guidance as well as all of the other roles that come with parenting. You absolutely should be involved with her entertainment all year round.
Why is it your job to keep a 16-year old entertained? She's 16! She can figure it out all by herslef. Teach her independence, not dependence. A job is a great idea, but it's up to her to keep "pounding the pavement" until she finds one! Let go mom. Ignore her complaints and tell her she'll figure something out to do.
Hi M., Isn't she in contact with any friends from school that are her same age? If so, maybe have her plan a day at the mall with them, or movies or museum, etc. Does she drive or do you have to drop her off? I don't hang out at the mall much, but I do know the teens do! I don't have teens yet and Lord knows what I will do with them when the time comes since I work full time out of the house! Good luck, I hope you find something for her!
Volunteer work is a great way to keep busy, gain work experience, and get a really good feeling from giving back. I googled teen volunteer in Chandler and there was a couple I saw, one at the library, another at Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert medical centers, members of Catholic Healthcare West, have a volunteer program for youths ages 14-18. The "Volunteens" program provides great work experience for those who are interested in helping others and making new friends. Participants can volunteer at either medical center or at a CHW Urgent Care center in Ahwatukee, Gilbert or Queen Creek. I copied and pasted that :)
I have a friend with a boyfriend who is a police officer. He doesn't recommend letting them hang out at the mall much. We have learned our lessons from giving them too much time unsupervised also.
The girls go into the family restroom and drink alcohol.
Take care,
K.
Has she thought about life guard or Jr life guard? My cousin(who is 14) just started as a jr life guard, which lines up a great job for her next year, but she doesn't have to worry about keeping it through the school year.
I have heard that summer jobs are hard to come by this year with the economy. But has she tried applying at a movie theatre or at a day care/child care center? Or doing babysitting on her own? School age kids need child care in the summer. Or how about volunteer work doing something she loves? Does she like babies? She could volunteer in the nursery at a hospital. Are there any day camps for teens? Good luck.
