A mother refuses to give her teenage son a job because she wants him to keep his youth and pursue his passions before embracing society’s stay-alive mentality.
In a video shared on TikTok, Esther Boyd explained that she urged her 15-year-old son not to look for a job because she wanted him “to do whatever he wants” while he still has the chance as a teenager.
“I had a very hectic life experience early on, I’ve done so many things and accomplished so many things and my work ethic is insane, yes, but that’s what I don’t like. Like why that is. “Is our work ethic such an important and valuable skill?” says Boyd, 33, in the clip. “Why do we value ourselves and each other for how hard we work?”
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Some employers are still struggling to find workers to fill vacancies. ((Source: iStock))
Boyd told South West News Service, “It seems like I’ve been working forever — I’m already physically and mentally ready to retire,” she said. She explained that she told her son, “I don’t want you to get a job. I don’t think that’s a smart idea,” because she wants him to enjoy life before he thinks, “He has to work just to stay alive.”
“You can do this your whole life — why start now?” she said, as quoted in the New York Post.
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Boyd said she would be happy to “finance his existence” so that her son can continue to pursue his interests and hobbies.
“I said I give him money to do things. I can finance your existence,” she said, admitting that she is in a “privileged” position to be able to do so.
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The Big Weekend Show debates whether a mother who doesn’t want her 15-year-old son to get a job is right. (Fox News)
Mollie Hemmingway, a Fox News contributor, said that while it’s important for children not to grow up too fast, it’s the job of parents to instill responsibility and a strong work ethic in their children.
“I understand the argument that you want a child to enjoy their childhood. This is a very important thing. But part of being a kid is learning to take responsibility and growing up and learning more about the world … and that’s something one would wish for while they’re still under your roof. So we totally cheat kids by not giving them a summer job, what’s the problem? It won’t conflict with school, you can save money for college. It seems like this lady has a very beautiful life, but one that many of us might not be able to share,” she said on The Big Weekend Show.
Fox News co-host and national correspondent Griff Jenkins, recalling his own experiences as a teenager at a pet store, said Boyd was doing her son a disservice by urging him not to work.
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“She obviously loves this kid so much … she says ‘I just want him to chase butterflies and count stars,’ but the problem is that she’s not doing him any favors because he’s not eight years old in Your Children’s Life, to allow them to get off the face of the earth tomorrow, you gave them the tools to survive. She loves her kid but she needs to help because he’s 15 and soon he’ll need to learn to earn,” Jenkins said.
Esther Boyd explained that she urged her 15-year-old son not to look for a job because she wanted him “to do whatever he wants” while he still has the chance as a teenager. (iStock)
Co-host Katie Pavlich offered a different take and praised her mother for encouraging her to enjoy her teenage years without the rigidity of a nine-to-five job.
“I grew up in a car wash, worked really hard in snow storms… I had a to-do list, but I’m so grateful to my mom. When I went to her when I was 15, 16 because all my friends got jobs to the tanning salon and to the golf course. She said “No.” You can work at the car wash if we need you, you can do your chores at home, but we want you to be able to be a teenager and go to basketball camp or law camp and really enjoying being a teenager. And it came from my grandfather telling her, “You have the rest of your life to work, and that’s true,” Pavlich said.
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“I like the idea that you have to learn how to work, and there are ways to do that without having a nine-to-five or a punch card in the restaurant or something … I really appreciate that they gave her.” Let a kid be a kid.” ,” she added.
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