How old were you when you had your first job?

[MojoJD_IHB]

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[childplease_IHB]

I would have to say that I grew up in a generation and in a demographic that is similar to what childplease is claiming. I completely disagree with his/her stance that everything will work out fine and that you should let your kid be a kid. I was fortunate enough to have parents that insisted that I work to get the things I want during my down times and during the summer, despite their ability to pay for everything without blinking. My parents used to say "If I get you [fill in the blank], what will you want to work toward when you grow up?" as they bought me the lesser/cheaper version of the gift for my birthday or xmas.

What the other posters are saying, and what childplease doesnt realize, is that the average kid in the silver spoon situation turns into a boomerang child; by a LARGE margin. Nearly all of my friends from my relatively privileged neighborhood turned out to be pretty disappointing, especially given the relative smarts in the bunch. Many live at home, or in crappy apts nearby with 4 roommates. Many keep trying to "get in on the ground floor" of the next bullshit t-shirt or energy drink startup. Some went to college to do something fun/intellectual, but failed to heed the warnings of all the pragmatists and non-privileged saying that their theater or art history degree wouldn't get them a job. Guess what? Their jobs suck.

"Its ok sweetie, mommy and daddy are always proud of you." = Recipe for failure.

The next 5 years are going to be interesting. People are going to start feeling a little old for their parent's home and financial umbrella.

Most of your friends living w/ 4 roommates probably enjoys it. They grew up in nice homes and this is their time to learn to "tough it out". There's nothing tough about it, but hopefully you get what I'm saying. The ones that do live at home, they have a nice big room, mom/maid doing their laundry and cooking their food, why leave?

Also they get into that "ground floor" idea because they're used to the idea of making big bucks (like their parents did)...minimum wage and grinding it out isn't for them. They'll soon learn and when they're ready, their parent's friends in that expensive neighborhood will have a job waiting for them. Undeserved? Yes. Ungrateful at the time? Probably. But they'll get used to working 9-5 and be the stress free, easy going, goofy person people enjoy being around. After a few years of realizing making moneys tough, they'll then leverage that opportunity with their smarts (as you posted above), put their drive in gear (like mom and dad) and rise. Or mom and dad will be more successful in a few years and allow them to marinate longer, bring them into a new business venture, etc. Hope I was able to fast forward 5 years for you.

 

[childplease_IHB]

Child Please!

There are something that you can't learn from books and that is wisdom. I am not saying Nude is better than you because he grew up without a silver spoon while you had that spoon in your mouth until you were 28. He has the street smart that allows him to move and adapt to any environment or even starting life over in another state or even country. However for you, you will have a really hard time to adapt and recover if one day your career falls to the bottom.

You had a smooth ride your entire life and experienced very little disappointments. When you have been provided a ladder all your life and you only know how to climb. What goes up must come down and I am not sure if you know how to fall my friend.

You are not alone. There is a whole generation here in Irvine following your footstep afraid to travel west of the 55.

You obviously haven't read any religious texts or even a parable as a child. I think you meant street smarts/commen sense and not wisdom.

and when/if ever I fall from that ladder, hopefully I'll have enough money left to hire a shirpa to take me higher...otherwise you'll be right!

Started working at 22, not 28. It's funny to me that you guys keep saying "silver spoon", "never experienced difficulty", "everything was handed to you", "only learned to climb"...is that a bad thing for a child? I hope my child is always happy and doesn't stress about adult problems. There's a life time of that waiting for her, no need to rush. She'll learn responsibility from home and school and common sense from experiences with friends...I don't want her to be the jaded 14 yr old who has seen too much and thinks they know it all for their age. Everything she does, I'll make sure she "climbs high" to build her self confidence. No need to throw her down to see if she survives...those lessons come at school when you get a humiliating A- on a test and then make it back to 100%!

Are you deliberately trying to get on people's nerves or are you really like this in real life?

It's a joke. If it's annoying you, I apologize but being overly obnoxious was my way of saying I'm kidding. And to answer your question, yes this is how I am in real life.

 

[MojoJD_IHB]

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[qwerty_IHB]

You guys are arguing about different belief systems - neither of you are right or wrong. To childplease, his upbringing works for him and that is how he is choosing to raise his daughter, more power to him. For BK and others, making your kids works when they are young will prep them for life, more power to them as well. One thing i have learned is to never have opinion based arguments. No one wins. I think all of your arguments have merits.

Child Please - did you get that name from Chad Ochocinco (formerly Johnson)? Saw that he was using that term in HBO's Hard Knocks.

I didnt work in high school, but did work 20 hours a week while at USC and full time in the summer. I remember my senior year when some of my friends were going to Hawaii for spring break, and i chose not to go because i would have blown most of my savings on the trip. That savings was all i had, i did not have family that i could go to for money if something happened. About five months later, my first month's salary from a big 4 cpa firm was more than the savings i graduated with, i should have gone on that trip. I missed out on various trips like this because i didnt have a safety net. It would have been awesome to go on some of those trips, so i can understand where childplease is coming from on letting his daughter be a kid without having to worry about working. I would have rather had the memories of those trips than having learned the value of money. I have money now, but cant go back in time to take those trips.

Ill tell you what - when my kid is a senior in college, he/she will be going on that spring break trip with their friends, compliments of their dad.

 

[irvine_home_owner_IHB]

Yes... while I value the lessons that having a job at a young age may give you, I'm not convinced that being "privileged" is going to kill you either.

This thread is ironic because the same people who argue that you don't necessarily need a good school to be successful use good parenting as the reason... doesn't this also work for kids who have a job or don't?

I know many people who've had the "lucky" childhood of not having to work until they were out of high school (or even college) and many of them are successful now. I know many people who had to work early on and they are also doing well.

I don't think there is enough evidence to prove either side and while I get what bk, nude et al are saying... I also understand childplease's point.

Stereotyping always leads to disagreements.

 

[childplease_IHB]

I would have to say that I grew up in a generation and in a demographic that is similar to what childplease is claiming. I completely disagree with his/her stance that everything will work out fine and that you should let your kid be a kid. I was fortunate enough to have parents that insisted that I work to get the things I want during my down times and during the summer, despite their ability to pay for everything without blinking. My parents used to say "If I get you [fill in the blank], what will you want to work toward when you grow up?" as they bought me the lesser/cheaper version of the gift for my birthday or xmas.

What the other posters are saying, and what childplease doesnt realize, is that the average kid in the silver spoon situation turns into a boomerang child; by a LARGE margin. Nearly all of my friends from my relatively privileged neighborhood turned out to be pretty disappointing, especially given the relative smarts in the bunch. Many live at home, or in crappy apts nearby with 4 roommates. Many keep trying to "get in on the ground floor" of the next bullshit t-shirt or energy drink startup. Some went to college to do something fun/intellectual, but failed to heed the warnings of all the pragmatists and non-privileged saying that their theater or art history degree wouldn't get them a job. Guess what? Their jobs suck.

"Its ok sweetie, mommy and daddy are always proud of you." = Recipe for failure.

The next 5 years are going to be interesting. People are going to start feeling a little old for their parent's home and financial umbrella.

speaking of ideas, if only your friends were smart enough to create the snuggie.

Yes, from hard knocks.

 

[sugarspunZ_IHB]

i had a paper route at age 13 and then at age 14-15 i worked for Domino's Pizza.

at age 16 mom and dad told me that if i wanted to drive i need to pay for my own car insurance so i kept working and have been ever since.

it definitely taught me a good work ethic, however my school work did suffer as a teen and in college, but it made who i am today and i am very happy.