Dog Wash

My son has been doing lots of pet care lately. Besides taking care of his own dog--feeding her, taking her for walks, giving her a bath, giving her flea treatments and other medications--he has also cared for other people's pets, too. Some of our neighbors hire him to take care of their pets when they are out of town. He has made some extra spending money this way. It is one of the few jobs that he can do right now, with limited transportation and all. I know the neighbors will miss him when we move, but he will be glad to have more options regarding jobs for teens. If it all works out, we will be living in the middle of a busy area--lots of possibilities for jobs within walking distance. Even though pet care has been a good start in the working world, he really looks forward to having a "real" job--with paychecks (and taxes!) and all that comes with it. I know he wants to start this summer, but he will still be 15--and we hope to be moving sometime during the summer. Once we move--once he turns 16--once he can drive--then I think an afternoon/weekend/summer job will be a great idea. I am all for the idea of earning your own money as a teenager--it is expensive to go out with friends and on dates! But for now, the pet care is about all he can do. At least he has SOMETHING to do--I don't want him to just sit around and do NOTHING this summer! Maybe he can find something else to add to his "summer job list." But next summer should be a lot better--he will be 16, he will be driving, and hopefully we will live near lots of places that hire teens for the summer. Until then, pet care and dog washes will just have to do!