Small Memories

As a teen, your child will want more and more things to enhance their lives. One good way for them to learn the value and cost of these items is by earning their own money from a summer job. In most states, when the kids turn fourteen, they can hold a job. Help your teen find that perfect summer job with a few simple tips.

The easiest way to find a job is through connections. If parents know someone who has their own business or they own a business, the teen can work for them. But, if this is not your situation, your teen will have to find a summer job the old-fashioned way—look for one.

The first line of inquiry is the newspaper job ads. Schools usually subscribe to the daily local papers. Have them make a list of all of the jobs that they are interested in.

Review the list with your teen. You are looking to answer a few questions: Is the job within a reasonable distance from the house? How late will they be working? What is the pay? What are the job requirements?

If your teen can’t drive yet, distance is important. The parents will have to drop off and pick them up from the job. If the job is within a safe distance from your home, but their shift ends at 11 p.m., it is not safe, especially for a teenage girl, to come home alone after dark.

Your teen will have to fill out an application for any job that they like. Help your teen to fill out the first application so that they will know how to complete future ones. If this is not your teen’s first job, they can attach a resume with the application. A resume is a brief history of work and educational experience. There are resume templates that will guide them through the process.

Once an interview is granted, go over the process with your teen. Ask them some of the same questions that potential employers will ask during the actual interview. Help them to keep their answers as simple as possible.

The dress for the interview is important. Any piercing that could be offensive should be removed. A nice suit for a teenage boy or a blouse and skirt for a teenage girl is appropriate. Trendy dress should be avoided. Hairstyles need to be neat and clean. Outrageous colors and spiky unkempt hairstyles are sure to raise a few eyebrows at the interview. This is not a good thing.

When your teen wants a summer job, do your best to help them acquire one. Prepare them by going over interview questions and assisting them when choosing an outfit for the interview. Make sure that your child stands out as the best candidate for the job.

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Here in the South, a large part of our lives are steeped in family traditions. Family traditions surround us and we may not even realize it. Here is an example of one such summer experience.

One of the most well-known and popular southern summer traditions is not a place or an activity. It’s a wonderful food which heralds the arrival of summer. In my opinion, no summer is complete without it! It is the watermelon.

Most southerners have fond memories of eating watermelon during their childhood. I am no different. I can remember playing outside in my sandbox, as a child. The “fun streaks”, also known as sweat lines, were apparent on my grubby little cheeks and hands. My feet were bare and honey brown. I would meet Daddy at the car when he came home from work. As I waited, I remember drawing in the soft dirt with my toes while Daddy reached across the seat for his lunch box. When I looked back up from my dirt drawing, Daddy was holding a huge, dark green watermelon! I must have been smiling all over because Daddy laughed all the way into the house.

At that young age, time didn’t mean much to me. I knew night and day but the seasons were still a mystery. I must have been about three years old when I finally realized what summer was. Summer was when Daddy brought home a watermelon for me. The summer tradition of eating watermelon continues.

This is one of the small memories that has affected my life in many ways. Because I had good memories of my family eating watermelon together, I made sure I continued the tradition with my own family. On a different level, this childhood memory has brought me many smiles and comfort since my dad passed away.

Please remember that even the small memories can make a difference in someone’s life and be sure to take time for family activities. They will all be important in the years to come.

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Take home reminders of your watermelon summers.