Getting a job nowadays has become even harder for teenagers. Going through the whole application process can be complicated, annoying, and just overall stressful. 

There are some who get late replies or are simply turned down because of their age. Lucky for me, I never had to go through this process. This isn’t because I don’t have a job, it’s simply because I’ve been working with my parents for the last 10 years now. 

Back in 2015, my parents decided to start their own business. We come from a low-income background so sitting around was never an option. My parents decided to start their own business selling aguas frescas and food because their parents, from both sides, had similar businesses. 

My parents wanted to be able to provide a better life and future for my younger brother and me. They would take us to work with them because we had no one that could take care of us. I was 8 years old and my brother was 4. 

This meant that we would have to leave school early once or twice a week, which wasn’t ideal but it was necessary.  

Growing up, I didn’t like this much since there were times that I missed out on fun school activities and I felt left out. 

As I grew older, I realized that this was for the best since I got to learn from it all. My parents felt bad over the fact that they had to take us out of school, but they felt more comfortable having us there compared to leaving us with a babysitter.  

Obviously, they wouldn’t have us doing hard work. It started off with simple things such as helping them clean up some of the tables, restocking napkins, and adding stuff into a cooler. Now that I’m older, I’m the one who helps them take orders and serve the drinks. 

My parents stopped taking us out of school when I was in middle school, around 2020-2021 due to COVID. This was while I was in 7th grade so once I started 8th grade, they wouldn’t pick me up early from school anymore. Now, I just go to work with them during the weekends and during vacations. 

I can’t even lie, I used to get FOMO from other people working at other places such as retail because I felt somewhat left out from that experience. Over time, I just stopped caring about it because either way, I had a job too.

Work is stressful in general, but even more so when you work with your parents. In other jobs, you could have a bad day or a bad interaction with your boss or coworkers but at the end of the day you get to go home and unwind. 

Me, on the other hand, I see my bosses at work AND back home. It can feel overstimulating, especially if we had an argument earlier in the day because I know it will come back up later in the night. 

At the same time, working with my family has its benefits. First of all, I have an extremely flexible schedule. If I can’t go on a certain day, it’s fine because we have other workers so me not being there won’t affect the business in a negative way. 

Also, I get to keep my full check compared to other jobs. Many of my friends have complained that they get deductions from their work checks and I’m happy to say that I can’t relate. I get paid $200 every day I work and I don’t get any of that deducted. Neither do our other workers. 

Even though I have considered getting another job sometimes, I don’t think I’ll actually do it. This is my business too and I am extremely grateful for it. 

I believe that this has helped me become more independent and has helped me step out of my comfort zone. I have to deal with rude customers from time to time and anyone who has or had a job can tell you that it’s extremely overwhelming. Sometimes you don’t know how to communicate with the customer and even though there might be times where you want to be a jerk and talk back, you can’t. It’s a business, meaning that you have to keep it professional. 

Despite all of this, I genuinely do enjoy working with my parents. Like in any job, people make mistakes. I like the fact that if I make a mistake, it’s with my parents. 

Managers at different places have their own policies and some might be more short-tempered with others. Let’s say I was working somewhere else and I made a mistake, there is a high chance that I will get scolded by my manager and I probably won’t have the chance to explain myself to them. On the other hand, I know the way my parents are and they are quite patient, not just with me, but with the rest of the staff too. If I make a mistake while at work, they might get a bit frustrated but we will quickly move on from it and I get to talk with them once we’re home to find a way to prevent this from happening in the future.  

I would say that the most valuable part of working with my family is the trust that my parents give me and the flexibility. I am truly grateful that my parents trust me enough to let me run the business whenever they can’t be there or when things come up. Trust obviously isn’t easy to gain. It took many years and lectures to get to this point. 

As I have mentioned before, I love the flexibility I have working with them compared to working somewhere else. If I’m sick or something, my parents won’t be ‘skeptical’ and won’t think I’m making it up because well obviously, I live with them. Other managers might not be understanding and some might still make you come to your shift. 

Honestly, I still see myself working with my parents in the future. Not full time but I would definitely like to work with them while I’m in college in order to make some extra money for my own expenses. I’m still going to be in the area so transportation and all of that won’t be an issue. 

I am beyond proud of my parents for all of the sacrifices they have made and I love how happy they are over such an accomplishment like this.