[phpisthebest]

I started working at 16, at a walmart.

I only called sick a handful of times, never was late, and did my job to the best of my ability. it is called work ethic. I started at $0.25 above minimum wage, as we given several raises, and position changes by the time I left at age 18, why because I was one of the most reliable teens they had, and they did not want me to go to another employer.

Some parents instill work ethic in their children even teens, sadly we do not have many good parents these days it seems like

and for the record, walmart never asked me and I never did work a single second off the clock...

[lostlogin]

> Some parents instill work ethic in their children even teens, sadly we do not have many good parents these days it seems like

It turns out that there is a lot more to what makes a person than just the behaviour of their parents.

[BobaFloutist]

I think it's actually developmentally inappropriate for teenagers to have that level of work ethic. A teenager has far too many things on their plate at school to dedicate that much of their energy and motivation to Walmart, even ignoring the cost to their social and cognitive development.

[phpisthebest]

I 100% disagree, the coddling of the American mind is a huge problem and we continue to push out development in favor of these new age idea that "kids cant handle it" with the result that we now have an entire generation of Adult Children...

Most college graduates likely could not pass a 8th grade exam from 100 years ago, the social cost of that is immense.

[BobaFloutist]

> the coddling of the American mind is a huge problem

Yeah I thought that book sucked too

> Most college graduates likely could not pass a 8th grade exam from 100 years ago

I highly doubt it, though we have no way to prove this one way or another. Maybe there'd be some like dates that we haven't memorized in modern times because priorities have changed, or some outdated home ec or shop practices.

Much more interesting is imagining a tween from 1924 trying to grapple with the advanced math and science (not to mention language skills) required to even take a modern AP class, let alone pass the exam.

But it's fine, it's developmentally appropriate for middle-aged and older men to find the days youths and teens lacking, your following in a time honored tradition of moral panics about how sure, we were idiots in our own special way, but these teens, these teens, are really something else, uniquely feckless in a way never before seen in history. Yes, every generation preceding mine has had this opinion, and has been soundly proven wrong, but, for the first time ever, we're right about it, and it just happens to be this generation of teens that is accurately described by the grumblings of old men, right when I want to start grumbling.

[phpisthebest]

So you deny that atleast in the US we have a huge Competence Crisis.. You ignore and deny the many many studies that show the IQ of the average graduate is dropping and dropping fast, you ignore the many many professors that have come out to state outright there is a plagiarism problem in most universities, and that administrators are forcing professors to pass students that should never be passed? You ignore the many many high schools that do not have a single student that pass standardized math and reading tests?

Yes there is "kids get off my lawn" but to just dismiss all of the data and problems as that is ignorant and dangerous

[sixothree]

I don't see what you "having responsibility" has to do with taking advantage of children?

Also I have to ask, and I mean this seriously. What did you do with the money from that job? Did it go into savings? Did you help with household bills?

[phpisthebest]

Paid for my car. My insurance and anything in wanted that was not basic needs.

My parents provided shelter, basic food at home, and transport to school and official functions...

If I wanted anything beyond that like access to a car to go out with friends. Or to buy a new game.. or go to a party etc. I hade to fund that with my own money

My parents were terrible at personal finance. They were not savers nor did the schools teach me anything about saving.. investment or compound interest so I did not start any of those things until my late 20's.. I failure instill regret....

That said my parents never asked me to contribute to the household finances.. and now today as one of my parents has no retirement they now live with me and I do not ask them to contribute to the household finances...