Yesterday Dom got to go to work with me. I only took him because another co-worker takes her son and he has ADHD. He is 16 and ALL over the place, in people's faces and running around the facility.
I mentioned that I was going to bring Dom to keep him occupied. I gave Dom the lecture in the morning during the drive to work about "this place being my work and not a playground" and "don't let people have to look at you wondering who's wild monkey you are".
We get there and he meets up with the boy and they go outside to play their games. (They both brought their PSPs). I allowed Dom to go to gamestop with this kid and they came back and sat outside on the grass under a tree.
Everytime I looked up the other kid was in and out of the building and in the rehab gym. One time I looked and he had come in and plopped himself on a stool in the gym. I asked him "Where's Dom?"
"Oh." he said and went back outside.
I looked out the window and Dom was sitting outside on the bench under the canopy playing a game. I was really proud of him because he had done exactly what I wanted him to do. He was well behaved and didn't get into anyone's way.
Later in the day, I found out that the facility has a program with the activities department where kids could volunteer. I got Dom involved with that and now he will be going to work with me Tues-Thurs.
Tuesdays and Thursdays he will be helping the elderly people play bingo. He pointed out the numbers that some couldn't see and also help them call "Bingo" if they didn't realize they had one. He also handed out the prizes and helped clean up afterward.
Today is arts and crafts for him.
I hope he likes this and learns a valuable lesson as well as respect for the elderly.
I agreed to pay him myself for any work he does. $3 an hour. (keep in mind, this is not for a full day...only during activity time).
At the end of the day, I thanked him for being so well-behaved.
He told me, the other day, that his friend was going to work at McDonalds next year. I stopped in my tracks because I know his friend is only 13 or 14 yrs old.
I explained to him that you have to be at least 16 to work.
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is NOT true. He challenged me and we went straight to the computer and googled child labor laws in Texas.
He was right. You only need to be 14 to start working.
Well.
Guess who wants a job at McDonald's next year. Of course, if his grades permit working.
Unfortunately, we'll be moving and our closest fast food joint would be Burger King.
He'll have to settle for that.
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12 years ago
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4 comments:
awesome for Dom! doesnt it feel good when your kids are doing as theyre told and not looking like a fool.
p.s
How is the allowance thing going?
Cool! At least he started 4 years before my kid! My son just got his first job at the local pizza place. We never pushed him to get a job, but just about the time we were going to start leaning on him, he up and got an application all by himself! He did great on the interview and starts tomorrow. It'll be good for him and should teach him a lot about pride and responsibility.
That is so cute that Dom is volunteering. You should let him try and hold a job while he's in school...teach him some money management (something I missed somewhere, haha).
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