The Oasis - A spot for FORT parents

[AJane]

We recently bought a Wii - my girls like it but they still spend most of their time with their Bratz & Barbies or with books. I'm actually the one who is on it the most. Guitar Hero is the funnest thing ever.

[canuckinchile]

Watch it AJ...that thing gets addicting. My son tells me other mom's don't play it, so now I can tell him that they do

[MRD]

What I like better is the kareoke game. I do better on that one than on guitar hero.

[Newfherder]

My cousin had an etch a sketch and I had paper and pencil

I had a cave wall and a charred stick

[imajunkie2]

Watch it AJ...that thing gets addicting. My son tells me other mom's don't play it, so now I can tell him that they do

Count me in there too Canuck!

[just1paul]

I had a cave wall and a charred stick

Oh! So you're the one who left those marks on THAT wall?

[SR5Rfan]

Hey, Newfherder, isn't graffiti illegal?

[Bunny555]

Does anyone have any advice/experience with this? My 16 year old son had been looking for an after-school job for a couple of months with no luck. Today, one of his teachers told him of a job he knew of at a car repair garage so he went there right after school and they offered him the job. It's grunt work, cleaning up oil, shoveling coal, unloading inventory etc...I have no problem with that but they are paying him "under the table" so it's less than minimum wage. My concern is that this type of work environment, that he's not at all familiar with, could easily lead to an accident. Would they be at all liable/responsible if (God forbid) he gets hurt on the job?
He's really excited about making his own money and doesn't mind the dirty work and I don't want to burst his bubble but I just don't know if this is the right thing to do.

[just1paul]

It is NOT the right thing to do. If he should get hurt, they do not have him on the payroll and therefore the company insurance would not cover anything, also even though he is 16, if this is the United States he still needs a social security number and needs to file taxes, even if he gets everything back except the social security and medicare deduction. I know I started in 1973 when I was 16 at my first job. Those little checks helped build my SS balance. He needs to either get on regular payroll or find a legit job. Didn't he need a work permit?

[Gutmutter]

I'm afraid I side with gabriel on this one. Do you have insurance to cover any accidents? Because they won't. It is also illegal and by allowing him to do it, you are sending the message that it is ok to break the law if it benefits you. In our very small town high school kids get jobs at McDonalds, at the grocery store, at the Y, etc. Has he tried legal avenues thoroughly?