My 15-year-old daughter landed her first job this summer as a dishwasher at the local cafe, making $16 an hour. And I was filling with pride and unrequested advice.
After her first shift, my daughter issued her grievances. She was on her feet for hours on end! The water was extremely hot! She was too busy to eat dinner! And every time she turned around, the sink was piled high with pots and pans covered in cheese and sauce!
I panicked. Over the next few days, I tried talking to my daughter about what she could do differently. I tried coaching her on how to ask her manager for a 15-minute snack break. And I offered her a pair of rubber gloves. My daughter would have none of it.
As the weeks wore on, she got to know the work well. Oh, she still complained. But she told me that she was gamifying (游戏化) the washing system, that the line cooks had an amusing middle school sense of humor, and that the head chef was developing a dessert that she got to taste-test before it hit the menu. Plus, there was the money.
The other day she said that during her first week at work, she didn’t understand how to clock in and out on the time clock (考勤钟).“So, I told my boss the clock wasn’t working for me and I texted him my hours,” she said. “But later on, I watched a few other people clock in and figured it out.”
“You know, sometimes it’s OK to ask for help,” I advised.
As soon as I saw her wounded look, I regretted my words. Why was I correcting her when she’d eventually found the solution on her own? That was her chance to grow, learn, and gain independence and responsibility.
Last night she told me excitedly the boss asked her to do some salad preparation. When I heard the news, I smiled happily. A promotion already! For a teenager, having a summer job is a beautiful growing experience, and for a parent, watching your child experience it is an exercise in learning to let go.
4. What does the underlined word “grievances” mean in Paragraph 2?
A.Standards. | B.Securities. | C.Warnings. | D.Complaints. |
5. What can we learn about the daughter from the fourth paragraph?
A.She adapted herself to the job. | B.She tried to impress the chef. |
C.She liked playing games at work. | D.She earned a higher salary. |
6. Why did the daughter wear a wounded look?
A.She didn’t know how to ask for help. | B.She was wounded while washing dishes. |
C.She didn’t get enough support from the boss. | D.She was dissatisfied with her mother’s words. |
7. What can we learn from the story?
A.Experience is the best teacher. | B.Industry is the parent of success. |
C.Parenting is hard in modern times. | D.The first step is as good as half over. |