When the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Happens at Your First Job
When my children were young, we would read Judith Voirst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
While the poor boy stumbled through the day feeling all things were terrible and horrible, he dreamed of an escape to Australia, thinking that would solve all his problems.
By story's end, he realized that everyone had a bad day here and there.
While it seems like a cute lesson to teach our children, what do you do when they come home from their first job, hot under the collar because they have had one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days? As my son unloaded about the manager that dismissed his ideas, the customers that didn't tip when he delivered their order in record time (despite $4 a gallon gas) and the constant surveillance via web cam from the home office, I understood his frustration.
Like any parent, my hackles raised at the slightest hint of unfair accusation.
My son is one with creative ideas, a logical mind for workflow and a strong work ethic, yet he was told "Don't think out of the box.
" Rather than engage in a discussion about ways to improve the poor traffic flow in the store, his manager, who was only a year or two older than he was, told him to just stop talking and go home.
While delivering freaky fast sandwiches isn't a dream job for my son, it is his current job.
He desperately wanted some coping skills to deal with the work atmosphere, even though he also had the flight syndrome that Alexander entertained in Voirst's book.
Together, we considered his options and the possible outcomes, which included quitting in a fit of frustration and flipping off the unseen viewer in the web cam, to considering the manager's stress and lack of skills when thrust into the position of supervising peers.
Helping a young adult learn that every job can be a learning experience is a critical extension of the childhood stories we read to them.
Including:
While some of his ideas were still outside the box, he at least felt heard and I noticed a rapid decrease in his need to unload on me at the end of his shift.
Every job will have its challenges, frustrations and difficult bosses, but the coping skills he learned are transferrable skills that will carry him on even when the next job has terrible, horrible, very bad days.
While the poor boy stumbled through the day feeling all things were terrible and horrible, he dreamed of an escape to Australia, thinking that would solve all his problems.
By story's end, he realized that everyone had a bad day here and there.
While it seems like a cute lesson to teach our children, what do you do when they come home from their first job, hot under the collar because they have had one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days? As my son unloaded about the manager that dismissed his ideas, the customers that didn't tip when he delivered their order in record time (despite $4 a gallon gas) and the constant surveillance via web cam from the home office, I understood his frustration.
Like any parent, my hackles raised at the slightest hint of unfair accusation.
My son is one with creative ideas, a logical mind for workflow and a strong work ethic, yet he was told "Don't think out of the box.
" Rather than engage in a discussion about ways to improve the poor traffic flow in the store, his manager, who was only a year or two older than he was, told him to just stop talking and go home.
While delivering freaky fast sandwiches isn't a dream job for my son, it is his current job.
He desperately wanted some coping skills to deal with the work atmosphere, even though he also had the flight syndrome that Alexander entertained in Voirst's book.
Together, we considered his options and the possible outcomes, which included quitting in a fit of frustration and flipping off the unseen viewer in the web cam, to considering the manager's stress and lack of skills when thrust into the position of supervising peers.
Helping a young adult learn that every job can be a learning experience is a critical extension of the childhood stories we read to them.
Including:
- A difficult boss can give you insight on how not to supervise others
- A simple phrase such as, "Oh no," "I can understand why you are frustrated," or "I never thought of it like that," can defuse a tense situation.
- A smile and a thank you might be the only pleasant experience the customer has that day.
- Helpful suggestions or new ideas are best delivered when sandwiched between positive or encouraging comments about the manager's efforts.
While some of his ideas were still outside the box, he at least felt heard and I noticed a rapid decrease in his need to unload on me at the end of his shift.
Every job will have its challenges, frustrations and difficult bosses, but the coping skills he learned are transferrable skills that will carry him on even when the next job has terrible, horrible, very bad days.
