My 13 year old son has currently worked at the village grocery store for over a year and he loves his job. His job as a part-time cashier allows him to get out of the routine, to meet people. He learns to take responsibility and set goals.
He works three to six hours a weekend, which allows him to save money to buy sporting goods. My son is an avid mountain biker and skier.
“Léo” is in first secondary. Friendships come and go…high school is rough on esteem, self-confidence, acceptance and so on. The list is long, remember? Despite everything, my son has no problems at school, a very good average and he is always assiduous in his studies. He likes to learn and he is also very appreciated by his teachers.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FAMILY
Leo
By combining very part-time work, studies and of course parallel activities, the balance is perfect. Leo demonstrates a self-confidence he didn’t have before he started working.
He loves his job, feels appreciated, valued. He is part of a team and all his colleagues, and especially the customers, find him helpful, polite, hardworking, funny, etc. In short, he does his job well and learns through interactions with these people to become more and more reasoned and empathetic. Basically, a good human with a real knack for grabbing people. Which will serve him throughout his life. And that, we unfortunately do not learn only on the school benches.
Spinning around at home
He was eager to work. He didn’t want to be bored at home and going around in circles all summer. His 15-year-old brother is going to work 30 hours a week, and we parents unfortunately have to work. Leo had set goals and it was a real pride for him to achieve them. He even wanted to do a little more to save for his new ski equipment. Leo is no longer able to recover the old stock of his brother…
With the adoption of this child labor law, he will lose his summer job at 8 p.m. a week at the beginning of July, just after school ends. Leo is completely depressed, his plans have just fallen through.
Leo will turn in circles. Leo won’t be able to save. Leo is angry and insulted. Why are they taking away their job so unfairly, taking away their goals, their motivation?
The end-of-year exam period starts this week, Leo just doesn’t want to give a damn, he’s discouraged. But Leo is strong for a little 13-year-old man. He will be able to show resilience so as not to give way to anger and disappointment, and he will finish his first secondary with very good results. But for the summer, it’s another story…
In summary, this law is unfair and exaggerated. Parents and employers know how to exercise good judgment and the rug has just been pulled from under them. There will most certainly be consequences to this law. As much for workers, employers, parents as for teenagers who are past the age of playing, running and laughing outside. They will probably lock themselves in even more, glued to their screens… solving one problem often leads to another, they say. Minister Boulet, you need to review your position. This law will weigh heavily on our young people.