The Citizen's job shadow student Kelsey Larson lets her fellow teenagers have it in her editorial above but she's not just speaking to teenagers - she's speaking to parents, too.
As she rightly points out, the job market in Prince George is accessible to teenagers with little or no qualifications, thanks to a low unemployment rate and high demand from employers in the service sector. For teenagers willing to apply themselves, there is good money and great experience to be gained.
For parents, this is a great learning opportunity. It's a challenging world out there and parents need to be supportive and encouraging as their young ones make their first tentative steps out into the bigger world. But tough love is also required.
The heavier wallet and the smile on the face from pride in a job well done, as Kelsey pointed out, comes after the work is done, not before. Getting them away from their video games and their introverted lives can be difficult but that doesn't mean parents shouldn't pursue it.
Unfortunately, there is a double standard at work here, pun intentional. There was once a time when there was simply pride in working but that time has long past. Now people have careers and want meaningful work. Teenagers now want that from the get-go, rather than going out and earning it. Tempering expectations about those first jobs is important.
That's no excuse, however, to getting out there and making a difference. Teens have all the answers, just ask them. It's our job as parents to get them to stop telling us and start showing us.
