LONDON - The British government has published a guide for
parents of jobless graduates, urging them to show their offspring
some 'tough love'.
Mollycoddling mothers and fathers should resist the urge to make
home too comfortable for their recently qualified children, the
government guide said.
The manual, published yesterday, instructs parents to show a bit of
'tough love' as they try to encourage their children to get a job.
That means making them do their own washing and ironing, emptying
the fridge of student-friendly snacks and cutting back on handouts,
the Guardian newspaper reported.
The guide also has blunt advice for those with lofty ambitions:
'Yes, some people will make it as actors and scriptwriters, but
many just waste away the years.'
The guidance, from the Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills, comes amid fears over a crippling shortage of graduate jobs
in the recession.
Almost one in 10 people was without a job after leaving university
last year, as unemployment rates hit a record high in Britain. More
than a fifth of students at some institutions were left without
work or a postgraduate place six months after graduation, the
Telegraph said.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed recently that
more people in their 20s or 30s were living with their parents than
at any time in the past 20 years. Around 25 per cent of men and 13
per cent of women aged 25 to 29 still live with their
parents.
Although one in three 'adult kids' said he could not afford to buy
or rent his own home, others were choosing to become 'kippers' -
kids in parents' pockets, the Guardian said.
The authors of the ONS report dubbed graduates who returned home to
live with their parents 'boomerang children', saying their numbers
were being swelled by growing student debt.
The guide, written by chartered psychologist and career coach
Denise Taylor, said reality hits many young people after
graduation, which can affect their self-esteem. It adds that
parents have a key part to play in encouraging their newly
qualified offspring to enter the workforce.
Listing dos and don'ts aimed at helping anxious parents to
'motivate, not alienate', the guide said it was okay to allow
children to relax once they graduate, but those few weeks of
letting them put their feet up should not slide into a few
months.
On the 'don't' list is perhaps the worst sin: nagging. 'It might
work in some circumstances, but most young people want a job and
know there is a lot of competition,' the guide said. 'Nagging can
make them feel more stressed and makes failure to get a job worse.'
Parents should also look out for their children's mental health -
logging changes to eating and sleeping patterns - and encourage
them to see a doctor if necessary.
The manual also offers guidance to the young people, with tips like
getting rid of 'compromising photos' posted on the Internet in case
potential employers search for job candidates' names online.
The guide - available at www.direct. gov.uk/graduates - said
parents should not dismiss children's ideas but encourage them to
have realistic goals.
'People often pursue careers such as this (acting or scriptwriting)
alongside a job, so encourage them to get a job to increase their
independence so they can support themselves on their dream path,'
the guide said.
New graduates could find they have to put plans for top jobs on
hold in the current economic climate, the guide said, warning that
some may earn lower wages than imagined. It also lists the
different options available to new graduates, including paid or
unpaid internships, work experience and relatively menial
jobs.
Some advice for parents
DO
* Allow children to relax once they graduate, but only for a few
weeks.
* Encourage them to get a job.
* Make them do their own washing and ironing.
* Empty the fridge of student-friendly snacks.
* Cut back on handouts.
Look out for their mental health - log changes to eating and
sleeping patterns - and encourage them to see a doctor if
necessary.
DON'T
* Nag. It might work in some circumstances, but otherwise it can
stress out young people and make the situation worse if they fail
to get a job.
* Be too supportive and make life too comfortable for the children
at home.
* Dismiss their ideas. However, do encourage them to have realistic
goals.
__________________
When God grants you Your Wish, Hes Punishing YOU.