This question is primarily for our younger Blurtit community, did I miss something? See explanation in comments.

I live in a rural community, not many families. But I do know there are 11 teenagers within a 15 mile radius of my house. I have gone to each home and spoke to a parent asking if I could offer their teenager a job weed wacking my yard. All parents gave their permission. I asked each teen in front of their parents if they would like to earn $12.50 an hour weed wacking my yard. I estimated four hours a day for two days. I would also pick them up and take them home. I have the weed wacker. I would also provide a full lunch or a pizza delivered to their home. It has taken me two months to contact all the parents and make the offer. Not one of the teens said yes or even a maybe. What have I missed?

I think you missed the fact that $12.50 does not sound like a lot of money to todays kids. Had you offered them $100.00, and said it will only take about 4 hrs a day for 2 days, and it includes pizza, you probably would have received a more positive response.  (And suggest that only the best would get the job, thus you are there talking to them.. Bit of an ego boost :))

Should have offered free wi-fi ;-)

I'm equally surprized by the dilemma.  As a kid I would have jumped at an offer like that.

I've seen postings of job want ads in my local supermarket. No doubt these postings are from younger people wanting summer work.  Highly popular,  all the tear-off phone number slips are usually taken by prospective hirers.

Some kids have a work ethic.

Ancient One.... I am speaking from a mothers point of view of course. I would not allow my kids to go to someone's house (out doors or not) if I didn't know the person. Therefore if my kids would have been asked by a stranger they would not have jumped to the opportunity. Now if I did know you and my kids knew you as well and you asked they would have jumped to the opportunity to make money. We have not been able to "spoil" them with a bunch of things so they do look for opportunities to make their own money. Are these teens spoiled? I am also thinking maybe they have their noses in their phones and didn't even realize the opportunity set in front of them.

I pay my experienced handyman $15/hour. Either those kids don't understand working for a living due to be given everything, or they have no work ethic. And for what it is worth, back in the day my mother would have made me go to help out an older neighbor.

Since you had no takers, and if you belong to church, ask the youth director to help you find someone.

I'm 14 and that sounds like a good deal to me. The pay sounds fair too. Last summer I spent two weeks helping a neighbor sort through and scan her family photos. It was tedious...gahh...but she paid $12 an hour and it was for about 3-4 hours a day. I made a lot doing that. But it was inside an air-conditioned home. Manual labor out in the sun probably doesn't sound too appealing to teens, especially during the summer.

But I agree that maybe saying the amount by hour doesn't sound like a lot to them. Or maybe show a picture of the yard just so they know exactly what the work will involve.

Of course my parents still volunteer me for stuff. -_- My mom comes home from spending the morning with our neighbor the other day and she says "by the way, she needed someone to feed her cat while she's on vacation and I told her Cameron will do it!". You didn't even ask me, mom lol

It's the exact same thing where I live. I can't get the kids to do any work at my house. I have about a dozen or so living in my immediate neighborhood and they just don't want to work for any amount of money.

I had a couple of kids stop at my house after the last snowfall that we had, asking if they could shovel my driveway. We agreed on a price and they got to work. After about 30 minutes they were half way up my driveway and they quit. "It was too hard and exhausting". They even had the guts to ask for half of the agreed upon price.

I've had the same problem. They just don't want to work.

My Grandpa can't even find adults to pick grapes at his vineyard for $18/hr. All the people who did apply mistook it for the internship. Which was for college students studying agribusiness or wine and viticulture.

In my opinion, it's the summer. Kids wants to be with other kids. If they can get a job, they would work at a retail store like Target or Hollister where all the hot kids are at. Not doing manual work.  Try during the school year! They'll love the chance to escape doing homework.

I would have jumped at the chance to earn that kind of hourly wage, however, I'm in the generation of folks where you helped each other out, instead of keeping your eyes on your phone.

Like Cameron's parents, my parents would volunteer my services to neighbors without asking for my input. Heck, you can't do that now without the kids tweeting about it, trying to shame their parents on social media.

I'm with Gator. Contact your church and see if you can find help there. I can't believe that not one of their parents "urged" their teens to help you out.

The problem is entitlement.

Doing THAT job, is beneath them. They have friends who are making close to that in better conditions (Sitting in a room with AC) . . . OR . . . Their parents aren't pushing them on the need to work, especially a job they will most likely learn tenacity and grit.

In my day, I would have jumped at the opportunity to make money. Listen to my "Walk-man" (Dating myself), and getting a great tan while doing it.

I had a job as soon as I turned 16 and I didn't care if it was pumping gas, flipping burgers, or Washing dishes (did all 3) . . . It was work and I was getting money which gave me independence.