first job

[twinfaye]

Our first job was a summer of babysitting for four children. We (being a twin it is always we). We took care of the kids for almost 12 hours a day. One was in diapers and one was in training. When we got to the house in the morning we cooked breakfast for the family. We cooked lunch for the kids and sometimes the Mom or Dad would appear at lunch time. We then cooked their supper for the family. Our job also included doing the housework and the laundry. For the five days a week we received the grand sum of $12.00 a week divided by the both of us. One summer was all we could take.

[redhead]

My first job was selling popcorn and candy at the theater my father managed. I don't remember getting paid anything. I did win a watch for selling the most popcorn and candy in the chain of theaters Dad worked for. My brothers ushered and Dad took tickets and sometimes ran the movie projector when the regular man didn't show up.
Oh before that, I forgot, I was about 14 or 15, I de-tasseled corn for a farmer one summer and saved $100 dollars and we used it for a down payment on a house when we moved back to Terre Haute. My brothers and sister all worked for the farmer. WE met in town with some other kids and rode out to the farm in a big truck and ate lunch under the shade trees in their big yard. For kids we did make pretty good money. I don't know how much or how often we were paid.... I just know I was proud to hand over my $100 dollars to Dad for that down payment .
After my parents passed away I found the payment book and found we paid only $1200.00 total for the house. We were REALLY POOR I guess! That would have to have been in the early 40's We lived in that house until I got married at 21 and left home. The bathroom was OUTSIDE called the "outhouse" . and the "bathtub" was a round tin tub in the corner of the living room behind the wood stove. Usually on Friday night we kids took turns in mostly the same bath water taking our bath Other than that it was just a wash-basin on the cabinet in the kitchen. It was that way until I got married. Thank God for the modern conveniences we have now-adays!!!!

PS We didn't have a "chamber pot" under the bed but we did have a 'slop-jar" in the pantry in cold weather!

[MeerKat]

Your life sounds like mine was, we did have a chamber pot in the winter, just went out to the Outhouse in the summer. I lived on a dairy farm. We didn't have running water for several years. I jusr remember when I was 11 my sister and I pick strawberries. But can't remember what we got paid wasn't to much but back then didn't take to much to buy anything.

[Nanatwo]

My first job was working in the office taking orders from hotels and restaurants for fresh produce. I worked from 2pm to 5pm mon-fri and get paid $25 a week before taxes. Equivalent to $1.66 an hour, that was while I was a senior in H.S., then when I graduated that summer I went to work for the Board of Education teaching 2nd graders to read, don't remember how much I got paid, but it was more than the $25.

[Susie Ann]

In 1970 I worked at Chilton Metal Products I can't remember how much I was paid an hour But my pay check for the week was about $50.00 A little more if I worked half day on Saturday and ten hour days-Monday thru Friday. I also helped my mom at age 6 or 7 pick pickles and beans for the canning companies. Also in the summer time my parents ran concession stands for little towns in Wisconsin--I helped by running the fishing pond--blowing balloons by mouth for my mom while she ran the balloon dart and setting up bottles for my dad when he ran spill the milk and it was on the up and up --we had no weighted bottles. My parents were hard workers and always thinking of ways to earn a little extra to help pay the bills. My dad worked in the paper mill.

[little drummer]

I babysat for a family for .30 cents/hr. I watched 5 kids, 7 dogs, and as many cats. I was expected to do the laundry (wash and fold) including cloth diapers, clean the house, cook the meals, bathe the children and help with whatever other task was asked of me. I asked for .35 cents an hour and was never asked back. Oh well....Things were really different then, now it is hard for babysitters to even clean up after themselves.

[fabiana]

at 14, I was a cashier in a dry cleaners store - can't even remember what I got paid! this, plus baby sitting @ 12 yrs. old-eldest of 7 - I was my mom's "right" arm.