With the word 'recession' seen more and more often in headlines and newspaper columns, the costs associated with uniforms and school supplies rising, and school fees increasing, young people may find their parents left with little to hand over as pocket money. Teens will need to rely on their own initiative to find the cash for essentials like iPods, Baby Phat jeans, Pastry sneakers and movie dates – not to mention Christmas presents.

The Royal Gazette decided to investigate two opportunities available for young Bermudians to earn some cash – grocery packing and babysitting. As non-Bermudian youth are subject to the same restrictions as their parents, unfortunately, this is a case of "Bermudians only need apply''.

Probably the first job opportunity available beyond washing the car and mowing the lawn is packing groceries, and students can start as young as 10 years old at the Market Place, while Miles Market will allow kids to start earning tips at age 11, and Lindo's Family Foods at age 12. All establishments have an application and 'terms and conditions' form parents must read and sign, but after that the length of working hours and requirements vary.

Dai James, at Lindo's Family Foods in Warwick, noted that the hours were very flexible, with some young people working once or twice during the week, on days of their choosing, some only on Saturdays. There are two shifts on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and some work just one shift, some for the whole day. There is no formal dress code, but the packers are required to be quiet and polite and not chew gum while they're working. They are able to have a drink while on a break, but not while dealing with customers. "Some can make good money, up to $180 if they work hard," Mr. James noted. There are opportunities for more formal employment as shelf packers with a set wage as they grow older, a move older teens are keen to make, even though they can earn more at the front as packers.

While the Market Place stays open late, packers are not allowed to work beyond 8 p.m. on school nights, and must turn up in full school uniform. Though they are not limited to the number of afternoons they work a week, they are limited to four hours on any particular day. Again, parental permission is required, and students must complete any assigned homework before they can begin earning tips.

At the Supermart on Front Street, the Front End Manager, Sean Grant, makes a point of speaking to parents before allowing young people to sign on as packers, and maintains informal personal contact with parents as long as the young people are on staff. On school days, the young people, ranging from 12 to 18 years of age, work around their homework, as school work comes first. On Saturdays, the packers are able to work all day, and get a lunch hour and breaks like the regular staff.

Miles Market offers some of the most flexible hours, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on school days, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, with the hours left up to the young people themselves. On Saturdays the older teens will stay all day. Once they reach 16, some will find jobs on the floor, and will work after school twice a week and all day on Saturday, and earn a regular wage. "These kids make a lot of money down here," one cashier observed. "Customers are generous, and kids can make $100 or more."

For older teens, babysitting is an attractive way to earn some cash, and with rates of up to $15 an hour, the amount of cash can be a considerable. Rachel Doughty, 14, just beginning to offer her services, admitted, "I kind of live with what they give me," but more experienced sitters quoted rates varying from $7 to $15 an hour, depending on the experience of the sitter and the number of children she was responsible for.

Of the young people The Royal Gazette spoke to, most were in their mid-teens, though one had started babysitting when she was 10. While those over 16 had their own transportation for jobs at a distance, the younger sitters relied on a parent or the client to take them to the job and the client to return them home at the end of the evening. Clients were generally acquired by word of mouth – neighbours, family friends, parents' work colleagues. During the week most teen sitters won't work beyond 10.30 p.m., but will stay as late as the clients want on weekends.

"It can be lots of fun," noted Rachel, "but you've just got to make sure you've got the right kind of materials to amuse the kids, to know how to have fun and to adapt to the ages of the kids. You need supplies, books, DVDs and games, to occupy the kids."

"You have to be patient and be able to interact with small children," another teen sitter noted. "You have to understand what's going on with them when they're young babies."

To help inexperienced young sitters to understand "what's going on'', the Bermuda Red Cross offers a baby sitting course in the school holidays which provides information on how to get jobs and keep them and how to care for their young charges. The course, which is not a certification course, is open to young people 12 to 16 years of age; it is recommended that those older than 16 should complete the full CPR or First Aid courses available. The grounding course has in the past been a total of 12 hours over two days, providing the basics of good business practice as well as what to expect at each stage of a child's development, including play, safety concerns and basic emergency care. The course was developed by the American Red Cross and has recently revamped, and Red Cross Education Officer Petra Spencer-Arscott noted, "We're really excited about the improved course and are looking forward to running it." Because of the changes, a training schedule has not been finalised, and those wanting to participate should contact the Bermuda Red Cross (236-8253) in the new year.

Though sitting has its challenges – crying babies and toddlers who wish to stay up beyond bedtime – a lot of the time the children are already in bed. And the clients leave snacks and DVDs for the sitters. And job satisfaction? "It's worth the money."