|
Looking for something productive for your teens to do
this summer? Consider the following ideas:
Volunteer Jobs
Local Parks and Recreation departments, the Red Cross,
libraries and hospitals many times offer teen volunteer
programs, especially during the summer. Likewise check
out your local zoo and tourist attractions.
Camps
Some weekly or day camp programs use teen volunteers or
even hire teens to do onsite jobs ranging from supervising
younger campers to maintenance-type work. Potentially a
teen that starts volunteering as a preteen or young teen
may gain the necessary work experience to be considered
for a paid position in the following summers.
Community Service
Check in your area for civic organizations that have a
teen branch. Some of these are very active and wonderful
places to make friends with similar interests and work
ethics. Likewise, these teens learn valuable networking
skills at an early age.
Paid Work
If your teen is ready and eager for a paycheck, help
them along by polishing their job-hunting skills. Go over
the classifieds together and discuss how a person chooses
the appropriate job/s to apply for. Role-play an interview
and make sure they know what it means to 'dress for
success'. Pick up a sample application from a fast-food
restaurant and fill it out together so your teen will know
the types of information a prospective employer will
require.
For all of these positions, the real opportunity is in
learning to be a person of character. Developing
dependability, integrity, honesty, listening skills,
personal initiative and more is the real paycheck from
each of these types of summer teen activities. Teens who
learn how to navigate the people and systems of the
work-a-day world through actual employment and volunteer
positions often have the upper hand when it's time to
enter the 'real world' of adulthood.
This summer, show your teen how to make his time 'off'
really count. Encourage a part time volunteer or paid job
and watch your teen's self-confidence soar!
| 
