If a kid is never asked to sweep a floor at home, will he be able to do it at work?

My brother and his wife own and operate two Rita's Ice stores in New Jersey.  Recently, my sister-in-law Kim posted the following to facebook.  It conveys the frustration employers feel in dealing with young employees who have "entitlement issues."  The problems she describes are a major reason why America is falling behind the rest of the world in academics and business.  Thanks for letting me share this, Kim.

To all of the parents with young children, this is what I am seeing as an employer of young people (high school/college age).
YP unable to fill out an employment application properly or fully (I even have parents coming asking for and filling out applications for their children)
YP who think that they can have EVERY day off they request
YP who do not know how to change a garbage bag, sweep and mop a floor, clean a bathroom.
YP who look at a job as an extracurricular activity instead of as a responsibility.
YP who can not put down their cell phone.
I can go on and on. This, unfortunately, is not the exception it is the rule. That means out of 10 employees I may have 2 that are valuable to me.
I am begging you to:
Please say NO to your kids and mean NO. It will teach them how to cope with hearing that word. They will hear it over and over in their lifetimes. You are doing them a disservice if you give them everything they want.
Don't let them feel that they are the most important person in the world. To you they may be, but to others they are not. I am flabbergasted by the self entitled attitude I get from these YP.
Make them do chores. It is good for them to have responsibility. They may also be asked to clean a toilet or two.
TEACH them how to fill out an employment application. Do not do it for them. I can tell who filled it out and I do not even consider hiring them when I see this.
Teach them how to ask for an application, dress for an interview and speak to adults.
Last but not least teach them a good work ethic. They may only be working in a lowly ice cream shop but to someone else it is their livelihood. Teach them that EVERY job they will ever have is valuable and they should take pride in everything they do.
Thanks for listening.


Facebook post written by Kim Sekulski

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