My 14 yr old Daughter started her First Job today!

@jennybianca (12912)
Australia
December 18, 2007 2:36am CST
My 14 year old daughter started her first job today. I had told her that she wasn't allowed to have a job during term time, so she applied to work during the holidays. She was very lucky to get the number one job she wanted, working at a Pet Shop. She had four hours work this afternoon. She has to clean out all the dog cages, bag the mouse food & wash two puppies. She loved it. Apparently the three other people she worked with were great. In two days time she goes back to work another 4.5 hours. The manager taught her things about the goldfish, etc & then tested her a little while later. She was also given brochures to read on pet care in her spare time. I am very proud that she has done so well.
7 people like this
23 responses
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
18 Dec 07
Working in a pet shop sounds like a great thing for your daughter to do. I think it will make her an even more caring person and she will learn a great deal about animals. It will also be valuable for her to work with a small team of people. It is wonderful that the store is happy to teach her pet care and lets her do interesting things like wash puppies. In a few years your daughter will take the valuable experience she has gained in this job to further study or a future career. It is right that you are proud of her.
3 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
She really likes the three other people she works with, & is gaining valuable experience.
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
18 Dec 07
Hi jennybianca! I am so glad to hear about your daughter's accomplishments and being a very responsible young girl. I could just imagine how proud you are and how happy you are for having such a responsible young daughter. You are blessed for having a daughter like her and I think that she is blessed for having a mother so loving and supportive like you. Take care and have a nice day dear! Merry Christmas and Peace to all! :)
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
These are very kind comments, thank you. She is very responsible.
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
18 Dec 07
Hopefully she will continue liking it. It sounds like she found a job she will enjoy. I am happy for her.
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
It looks like she will continue liking it, I hope so.
@AmbiePam (92890)
• United States
18 Dec 07
That is very exciting! She is learning even more responsibility than ever, which is wonderful for someone so young. She'll probably be so good at her job that they will want to keep her!
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
They may want to keep her & she wants to stay, but I wont let her work during term time.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92890)
• United States
19 Dec 07
Which is wise.
1 person likes this
18 Dec 07
hey!friend.i'm happy to hear that your daughter is doing a good job. yes, a part-time job can develop children's practice skill. in addition, it makes them understand better the real meaning of life.moreover,it brings them more knowleage what cannot be learnd from textbooks. meanwhile,i guess you are a successful mother, you are very nice! enjoy yourself!
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Thank you for your comments. I believe a job is teaching her responsibility & experience.
19 Dec 07
yes, i think the same way.responsibility and experience,that's the point. thank you for your comment. enjoy yourself! dear friend. and send my respects to your family!
@johndur (3052)
• Pasig, Philippines
19 Dec 07
dont you think she was a little young to start working? she should be still playing with her dolls at that age. she should be busy on her studies and not working at an early age,she might lose interest in education.education should be be the main interest of all girls her age and not to work,she has her parents to support her they should be responsible enough to give her what she needs and not let her work at such an early stage.its "child labor"thing.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Maybe my discussion didn't explain the situation clearly. At sage 14 years, she is way beyond playing with dolls. She does attend school fulltime & will do so until she finishes year 12 & goes to University. She is only working during the school vacation, and only part time. Perhaps you need to read the rest of the responses before you say it is child labour!!
@johndur (3052)
• Pasig, Philippines
29 Dec 07
ooops!my apologies. i havent read the whole topic much!im very sorry for my response.it wasn't really intentional.anyway in my country children are not allowed to work even a part time.it is the law here and it is punishable of imprisonment of up to 6 years. i hope you forgive me. good day to you!
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
18 Dec 07
that's great jennybianca... you are so fortunate to have such a good and responsible daughter... it will teach her the value of money since she is young... on top of that, she will also gain valuable experience in caring for the animals for her future... congratulations for raising such a good daughter... please wish her the best of luck from me...
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
She is good with money now, & will bank more than half her wages.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
18 Dec 07
Always great to hear of a young teen wanting a job. It shows you've done a great job raising her. I cleaned the wild cats cages when I worked in the circus as a teen. Now that's a mess to clean. HAHAHA!! HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Yep, I can imagine cleaning wild cat cages was a a dirtier job than cleaning dog cages!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
19 Dec 07
BTW check the Hot Topics for today. This is in the top 10. Now you can say you've hit the big time. HAHAHA! HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
18 Dec 07
That's wonderful. My two oldest boys both started working at the age of 14 too. It helps them learn the value of money really quickly. I think it is great that you were so supportive of her getting a job. Some parents think that 14 is too young, but I think it shows maturity.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
I didn't think 14 was too young, provided the hours of work are limited.
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
19 Dec 07
Oh, I agree that 14 isn't too young. I had some parents say how it was horrible I let my boys work at the age of 14. It got them out from in front of the tv!
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
19 Dec 07
Congratulations to your daughter because at a very early age she started the value of working to earn her own money... she will now realize how you and your husband are working very hard just to provide for her needs... i am also glad that she was able to find a job that she really likes... Congratulations to you as a mother... because it is so obvious that you brought up a hard working and caring person... keep it up... you are a great parent...
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Well, thank you very much for your comments. Mainly I just want my daughter to be happy, & she can't be happy unless I teach her values, which include working & being responsible.
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
19 Dec 07
Ah, well that's good to hear Jenny. Hopefully your daughter is enjoying this new part of her life. I'm also glad she's working hard at this endeavor. Great to see youth living, experiencing and being productive in my opinion.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Yes, I am all for productive youth, having interests, etc. She is participating in the Duke of Edinburgh award too.
@nkhanna (922)
• India
19 Dec 07
well congrats to you as well as your daughter for her first job.its really wonderful experience working in the first office.i remember the day when i went to work for the first time.i was very happy and excited and when i got my fisr pay my joy know no bounds.i was very hapy and bought gifts for everyone in my family form my first salary.its good she is doing part time job,so she can get time for her studies as well.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Her studies will be during term time. So there will be no problem with working at the same time. Thank you for your positive comments.
@jam14zen (149)
• United States
19 Dec 07
Wow, I thought you had to be 16 years old at least to get a job? Do you not live in the U.S.A.? What about the child labor laws? Does she really need $ that much? Seems like the time of life where you should still be playing sports/activities or at least enjoying life and not working.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Er, well, for a start, I live in Australia. Children can do part time jobs, OUT of school hours from the age of 14 years & 9 months. They are not allowed to leave school until the age of 17 years. She does play sport, at the elite level in fact. She trains as a competitive swimmer for ten hours + each week.
• India
22 Dec 07
You are a great mother and have a darling daughter also. Wish we in India also follow such traditions. Here we don't allow our daughters of 14 years to do any sort of job. The same goes for our sons also.We think that if our teenagers do some job, our dignity will suffer and we will be looked down by our neighbours, friends and relatives.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
29 Dec 07
Mostly teenagers do work here in Australia, because they want to earn their own money. My daughter has been banking most of her earnings, but with the rest she buys clothes.
@kareng (59382)
• United States
18 Dec 07
That is great that she stepped up and got a job and surprised you! I think that is awesome. Working in a pet shop is a great first job, especially if you love animals. It sounds like she is doing awesome and will be assisting customers before you know it! Tell her congratulations and happy holidays to you and your family!
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
She is very lucky to have got this job for her first ever work. You have good holidays too.
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Dec 07
Is this the job she applied for 4 weeks ago? If so I am really glad to hear it all worked out for her. Please let her know I wish her good luck.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Yes, this is the Pert Shop she applied for. I will let her know of your good wishes. Thank You.
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
18 Dec 07
Wow, that's great about your daughter. And what a cool job for a kid to get, I would love to work in a pet store even at my age. Giving puppies a bath, who wouldn't just love that. I hope she does well and wish her the best.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
yes, it's a good job, & she is getting the hard work first off, which is great for experience.
• United States
18 Dec 07
Thats great that your daughter wants to work. Its even better that she got a job that she loves. That doesnt happen very often. Its seems like most kids dont want to work. I know when i was that age i always wanted to have money of my own.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
She is the onkly teenager in her class that has a job as far as wnow, & she is the 2nd youngest in her class.
• China
18 Dec 07
you have an excellent girl ,and you mut be a good mother.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
Thank you.
• United States
18 Dec 07
Aww that's so cute. She has a nice job that taught her responsibility and It seems like she's really into her job and she might not want to quit it when the time comes. How cute. I hope she does good, this brings back memories of my first job in a Chinese restaurant, It was the worst place I've ever worked in my life. Man those Chinese were cheap! That's wonderful for your daughter to find the perfect job for her. Happy Holidays!
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
19 Dec 07
You are right that she doesn't want to quit at the end of the school holidays, but unfortunately I wont ket her work during term time.