POSTS WITH TAG: jobs

Proof Kids Don't Really Need College

posted by Jacqueline Burt May 31, 2011 at 1:49 PM in Teen

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Imagine if you could stop stressing about saving up for college. I know, it's like fantasizing about sprouting wings or some other fabulous but extremely unlikely scenario, right? But for some parents, this dream is actually coming true. Peter Thiel, a tech tycoon in San Francisco, recently awarded 24 teens with scholarships of $100,000 each ... to skip going to college. Yep, you read that right. Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal and one of the first investors in Facebook, chose winners based on their proposals for how to change the world. His theory? If you've got a great idea, get started right away; don't waste time racking up debt in college. Might sound crazy, but Mark Zuckerberg makes a pretty convincing poster boy.

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Do Summer Jobs Really Keep Teens Out of Trouble?

posted by Jacqueline Burt May 4, 2011 at 3:37 PM in Teen

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Expect gangs of broke, bored teens to roam the streets when school lets out -- teen joblessness could hit a record high this summer, which might lead to a spike in crime. Like rebellious teens spending their summer vacations looking for trouble is a new thing?

Don't get me wrong; I agree that the economy is pretty darn bleak when the jobs teens used to compete over, i.e. wearing a paper hat to sell hot pretzels in a food court and folding khakis at the Gap, are all taken by downsized professionals with mortgages to pay. And of course the last thing teens need on their hands is more free time. Historically speaking, however, I don't see how summer jobs ever really kept teens on the straight and narrow.
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Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Legacy Shows How Spoiled Today's Teens Are

posted by Jeanne Sager March 25, 2011 at 8:24 AM in Teen

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Today is more than the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Today, we as parents get a sad but solid edge on teenagers. Because if there's one conversation that makes you feel more like your mother than any other, it's the one where you have to tell your teen they just don't know HOW good they have it today.

To which they'll predictably respond, "You're ruining my life," or something to that effect, storm off, slam their door, and jump on Facebook to tell the rest of the world how much you suck. Oh, they're lucky they're cute, huh? I would prefer my daughter and I skip that phase entirely, thank you very much!
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Charlie Sheen Is Hiring -- Would You Let Your Kid Work for Him?

posted by Heather Chaet March 7, 2011 at 5:22 PM in Teen

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Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, folks. We have breaking news from Charlie Sheen. Apparently, Charlie Sheen is hiring. Yup, Old Team Sheen needs an intern. Not just any intern, but a "winning" one. Of course, "tiger blood" is required (is there a blood test, I wonder?).

When I first heard of his internship needs, I thought this was a joke. But, no. Everyone assures me this is the real deal. They've posted a job ad, and of course, he tweeted his job vacancy.

Part of me isn't surprised. Charlie Sheen is a busy guy. I'm sure he's got interview requests out the wahzoo. He just launched his new online show Sheen's Korner. He's got phone calls to return, offers coming in, and many more things that I don't even know about because a) I'm not a "total bitchin' rock star from Mars" (if I had to choose, I'd hail from Jupiter, thank you very much) and b) I'm not crazypants.

So, the burning question is: would you let your kid work for The Sheen Team?
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Would You Take Your Kid's Money?

posted by Jeanne Sager February 4, 2011 at 10:09 AM in Teen

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Picture this. Your kid gets a job, and she's bringing in good money. You need money. Maybe you lost your job. Maybe you have a Marc Jacobs habit. Maybe you are just clueless with cash.

So you tell your kid to give you their money.

What? It's not illegal. At least not according to a New Jersey court that determined the Division of Youth and Family Services had no cause to pull a teen from her father and stepmother's home -- even though the stepmother slapped the girl, and the parents expected her to give them her wages from her part-time job.
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