I know this has nothing to do with Lake Conroe Real Estate but I have to slide it in here! 
What was your first job? I mean really your first? Not the baby sitting kind or the one that allowed you to stand in the concession stand for money or candy but your real life, get paid by the hour job?
And, how old were you? How did you get to your job? I ask these questions for a very deep reason. Our children today do not even LEGALLY get to learn about a job or responsibility till the age of 16 or older.
Now, if I had waited till the age of 16, had a home full of electronics like Wii, flat screen TV's, computers, cell phones and text, I may have never learned what a JOB was all about!! And, that's exactly what I am worried about for our youth of today.
Life was so much different in my childhood. By the time I was the age of 9, I was babysitting for the people in our neighborhood. The family I remember had three banshees children that were absolutely unruly and worried me half to death. I caught them walking on the piano keys, trying to swing from the living room chandelier and attempting to get the dog to eat soap! I would say goodbye to the parents, go in and wait for the kids to finish their dinners, do the dishes, and often times hide in the bathroom with the dog for as long as possible as the children seemed to be the spawns of some evil entity. I would attempt to govern them into their pj's, read a book with them jumping on the beds till they nearly broke down and finally closed their doors to keep from having to hear their screaming! Mommy and Daddy would get home finally, praise me for what I had done, pay me and I would walk on home. While counting my .75 cents...three hours at .25 cents an hour, I wondered to myself if life would always be THIS WAY! It was surely tough to make enough money to buy a movie ticket, some popcorn and a few pieces of candy! 
I knew there had to be something better! By the way, that did not count as a job. I mean a real job. Where you answer to a boss, have to be there at a strict time and handle their money and represent their company. Not watching their banshees kids. And, I use to handle the concession stand at Edinburgh, Indiana Park for my dad. He ran the park during the summer when he wasn't teaching and I got to sell candy and sodas during that time earning the choice of a candy bar and a Cream Soda. I loved that!
My first REAL job was in Huntsville, Texas, home of Sam Houston State University (back then still a college), as my mom could not afford my Cheerleading Fees. My mother was an Associate Teacher and could not afford any extras. Yes, I wanted to be a Cheerleader and was voted in by the Student Body of Huntsville High School! SONIC DRIVE INN, HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS was my first REAL job. It is still there and I am taking my Grandchildren there on a regular basis. Mom and I had really moved up in the world and had an Apartment down the road instead of the College Housing that is now just a memory. I would ride the bus home, change clothes, walk down the road and go to work. 
I was barely 13 years old. I took pride in my position with Sonic! I showed up on time in my uniform, gathered my tray and change and got busy! Oh, I forgot to mention the Roller Skates...yes. I had to wear the skates to deliver the food which has barely changed I might add! The entire year I worked there I had only one mishap. My best girlfriend's brother showed up and placed an order. I had such a crush on this guy I couldn't stop shaking. When I rolled out to deliver his food I just kept Rolling! I managed to dump the entire tray of food right on Danny's lap...oops? Because he knew me so well he didn't complain so I got off easy. He gave me a .25 cent tip for that tray!
I had gone into the big time. A tip of almost .25 cents per car instead of per hour. I learned I was able to provide what I needed for school and at the same time have enough left to have a life. At age 13 I learned the trick to a happy and prosperous life. I learned WORK ETHICS. I was able to purchase all my Cheerleading necessities and I loved work. It fulfilled me with more than I could ever explain. My mother, God Bless her, was one of the first women to graduate Magna Cuma Laud from Texas A&M University and became a full Professor at Huntsville's own, Sam Houston State University. I will always be proud of her accomplishments. See what two girls can accomplish together?
How many of you are finding that your 30+ year old children are returning home? How long are we waiting to teach our children strong work ethics? How are we teaching our children that they have the ability to take care of themselves?
Tell me about your first job. Then tell me about your children and are they working? We need to change the laws our government has placed upon our children and our choice to teach them how the world works. This is our government's idea of when to begin to teach our children the true laws of our world. If you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth...go to work!
Minimum Age for Non-hazardous Work by the Fair Labor Standards Act:
In jobs that are not considered particularly hazardous, the FLSA sets the normal minimum age for employment in agriculture at 14 years, whereas in every other industry the normal minimum age is 16 years.
What are they thinking?
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