Need job ideas for anxious teen
My daughter is a high school senior, she struggled a great deal like many teens during the year plus of no in-person school and became depressed. Through the assessment process, she was diagnosed with pretty significant anxiety and has been in therapy since September and now also taking medication to help with the anxiety and depression. She has mostly stabilized and as part of her treatment, and preparing to go out into the world, she needs to get some kind of part-time job just a day or two a week, to practice pushing through the fear and discomfort she has of meeting new people in being in new situations. Higher stress jobs like restaurant work wouldn't work for her, or jobs where you have to deal with customers alot. I'm seeking ideas of jobs that might be good for a kid like her to dip her toe in the water of working, and something that would hire a teen just a couple of days a week.
Parent Replies
My niece worked at Trader Joe's (Univ/MLK) for a year after high school. She is shy and introverted and has dealt with a lifetime of challenges, including anxiety, depression, and OCD, but she said that TJ was the best first job. The crew and managers were kind and supportive. Most of her job was stocking shelves with customers occasionally asking for help. She eventually also worked the cash register, which was terrifying for her at first, but she did it (first supported by another crew member, later on her own) and gained a lot of confidence in the process. She got paid pretty well. TJ even started and contributed to a 401k, which was a big deal to a 18yo. Later while in college, she worked at a coffee shop; it was terrible -- nonstop stream of impatient, picky customers. Finally she has also done admin work in an office, which was great, but it didn't contribute to her growth in dealing with other people the way her TJ job did. Good luck to your daughter!
Does your daughter like children? Maybe she can do a few hours a week babysitting or being a mother's helper. Does your daughter play an instrument or enjoy art? Maybe offering to teach a class or help with homework after school? I also think helping out with animals (i.e., dog walker) could be therapeutic for her. Probably something that low sensory as well (i.e., not large crowds, not too loud, etc.
You don't say where you are, but contact Bridges from School to Work. (bridgestowork.org / 510-834-4700) It's in Oakland. My daughter had an IEP when she was in high school (anxiety was one of her issues, although not the reason for the IEP), and they helped her with a resume, job applications and ultimately a job.
Target may be a good fit. They hire a great number of students and are used to accommodating students' schedules. Some work as little as 1 day a week. The jobs can range from stockroom, fulfillment, cashier, customer returns, etc. The cashier's position may work well since she'll have some interaction with customers but the work is otherwise rather simple; and all trickier issues are handled by the managers.
Have you asked your daughter where she might like to do for a job? Also, working with the public could be just the thing that helps her. My daughter suffers from 3 forms of anxiety, depression, and panic disorder, is in therapy and on a cocktail of meds. My daughter was diganosed when she was 17 and during the summer/fall of her senior year in high school started working at Ulta Beauty in Alameda, now over 4+ years later she has graduated from college, and is the Operations Manager there. I am telling you all this because your daughter can succeed. Not sure where you all live, but you could try applying to Ulta in Alameda and work with a great group of ladies, including my daughter Cam. She would be in great hands there. You could also look into her do babysitting, working with kids at summer camp. But whatever she does, the best of luck to her.
It's good that you are taking the anxiety seriously. My sweet and smart nephew, now 19, really has no idea what to do with himself. The world is a terrible, violent, hopeless mess in his mind. He was never a great student, but he just refuses to go that last yard. As for your question, my kid (almost 14) has a weekly newspaper route and has started babysitting for our neighbor. At her age, my friends were working in local libraries and I volunteered with a hospital auxiliary. In high school I also found office jobs like filing, typesetting, etc. I did a bit of tutoring. My younger one volunteers at an animal shelter.
East Bay Park District is hiring for student aides (16+). Personally I think this would be pretty fun as well as keep you outside a lot which is great for mental health. Many local afterschool rec programs would probably also be perfectly happy to take a senior for a few hours on one or two days a week in the afternoons, just start looking at the websites of cities close to you that she can get to easily. Maybe working with little kids would be less anxiety inducing. Good luck to her!