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Mom shares video of her picking up 14-year-old son after his first day at 'real' job

"Sheldon! You are officially a working man!"

Image via Reddit/CremeSubject7594

Mom shares proud video of 14-year-old son's first day of work.

Getting your first job is a major milestone moment for most teens. It's a first taste of freedom and a nice paycheck to boot.

For 14-year-old Sheldon, his mom Lexy is making sure she knows how proud she is of his new career status as an employee at grocery chain Publix. In a sweet video, Lexy shared what it was like picking Sheldon up from his first day of "real" work.

"Our 14 yr. Old got his first “real” job today @Publix Our 4th son in a row they’ve hired 💚," she captioned the video.

@blendedlyblessed

Our 14 yr. Old got his first “real” job today @Publix Our 4th son in a row they’ve hired 💚 #parents #teen #grocerystore #publix #job #working #boymom #proudmom #workethic

Sheldon hops in the car and Lexy can hardly contain her excitement. "My baby just got his first job! Just went through orientation," she says as she pulls up. She asks Sheldon about when he will get his uniform, and she asks to see his new name tag.

"Sheldon! You are officially in the corporate world of life, business, working...a working man!" she says. Sheldon responds, "Working 9 to 5 forever!" Lexy loves it, adding, "Working 9 to 5! Not really, but..."

Sheldon continues to show her all the new hire paperwork he received, and Lexy asks him if it was a long day at orientation. He walks her though the whole day, from walking through the store to food prep. "I didn't know that they actually cut up their watermelons in the store! And the fish. I saw them cutting them up," he says.

He talks about setting up direct deposit, and how his first paycheck will be a physical paper check, before adding he worked in the office and also saw the freezers. "I've got to hit the hay," he says as they pull into home. I'm exhausted!"

@blendedlyblessed

14yr. Olds reaction to his first paycheck from @Publix #parents #teen #grocerystore #publix #job

The video got lots of encouraging comments from viewers. "Aww I don’t even know y’all but I’m so proud of him!! Publix is such a great employer, they have awesome benefits and are great to their employees. Way to go mama, teaching responsibility and a good work ethic!" one wrote. Another offered "14 so young, but I guess learning young will teach him responsibility in life and working hard congratulations buddy you got this."

Others agreed that 14 was too young for him to be working. "Let this kid be a kid!" one wrote, and Lexy replied, "Ok. I’ll let him sit and play video games all day like all the other great parents are letting their kids be kids right now 🙄," she wrote. In another comment she added, " It’s sad so many people don’t want their kids to learn work ethic that really is only taught as children…:when they try to pick it up at 18 it’s just forced bitterness and entitled and never ingrained work ethic."

@blendedlyblessed

14yr. Old Sheldon recounts his work day @Publix! He’s loving it! #teen #boymom #financialliteracy #hardwork #employee

Some people further debated if 14 years old is too young to work. "Never should one exist where we promote children working instead of children fulfilling their lives and interest. Stop downplaying the evils of capitalism," one commented. Another added, "I started working at 12 at a family friend's bar washing dishes. Some work younger in family shops and restaurants. Some work in factories despite the law. Legal work at 14 doesn't seem so bad or like an issue culturally or legally when children younger work out of necessity."

The U.S. Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has set the minimum age for employment to be 14 years old, and also puts restrictions on hours for employees under 16 years old.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

However, Lexy noted in the comment section that Sheldon was only working a handful of hours. She shared, "😂😂😂 As if his 10 hours of work each week kills his childhood 😂😂😂."

Another viewer commented, "I'm sure she isn't forcing her kid to work & I'm sure she still pays for everything. But its important for a kiddo to learn money management, to feel how good it is to buy something you REALLY REALLY want, with your own money. He seems like he has a great attitude & happy to work based on that smiled plastered on his face."

Lexy added more details about why Sheldon chose to work, and explained that three of her older sons also began working at Publix at 14. "He’s so excited! We still pay for everything of course but if he wants a car, he will have to start saving for that and a job is needed for that. Everyone is projected to have around 12-14k saved by the time they graduate high school if they don’t buy a car in that time. Oldest son did it. 2nd son is right there. Next one is on his way. And now this one will be too. Everyone enjoys working and having their own bank accounts, debit cards, etc.," she shared.

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Heroes

Heroic Mississippi teen rescues three girls and a police officer from drowning in a river

Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

Photo by DJ Paine on Unsplash

Mississippi teen saves three girls and a police officer.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Sixteen-year-old Corion Evans was passing by the river when he saw a car drive off the road and into the river with three girls inside, and without hesitation, the teen stripped down to his shorts and jumped in to save them. Amber Spradley at WLOX in Mississippi originally reported on the story.

Evans said the car sunk so quickly that he could only see the top of the vehicle sticking out of the water when he went to rescue the other teens. He wasn’t alone—his friend Karon “KJ” Bradley jumped in as well to help the girls get to safety. Recalling the brave rescue, Evans told WLOX, “I was just like, ‘I can’t let none of these folks die. They need to get out the water.’ So, I just started getting them. I wasn’t even thinking about nothing else.”

The fast-acting teen not only saved all three girls but in the chaos of the event, he heard someone else calling for help. It turned out to be a police officer who had swum out in response to the scene. After realizing the officer was now in trouble, Evans swam out to bring the officer to shore. How this teen had the stamina to rescue not one, but four people in the dark murky water of the Pascagoula River is beyond comprehension.

If you’re from Mississippi then you know that some bodies of water in the state have some grumpy residents that don’t take kindly to being disturbed. You’re taking your chances on bumping into anything from a jumping carp to an alligator depending on what water you’re in, but Evans didn’t take the time to consider that he could wind up someone’s snack. He was in full hero mode, and the rescued swimmers are thankful.

In his interview with WLOX, Evans explains that he has been swimming since the age of 3 but that early morning he had to put his skills to the test. He told the news station, “I was behind them trying to keep them above water and swim with them at the same time.” Later in the interview the teen went on to say, “25 yards out, so it was a lot of swimming. My legs were so tired after. Anything could’ve been in that water, though. But I wasn’t thinking about it.”

Thanks to the teens' swimming skills and quick thinking, all four people rescued survived. They were taken to a local hospital and treated. Chief Brandon Ashley of Moss Point Police Department released a statement to WLOX saying, “The police department and I commend Mr. Evans’s bravery and selflessness he displayed by risking his own safety to help people in danger. If Mr. Evans had not assisted, it could have possibly turned out tragically instead of all occupants rescued safely.”

This kid deserves all of the summer snacks. Heck, he deserves a car and a full scholarship! Pulling four people to safety couldn’t have been an easy feat. A summer job as a lifeguard should certainly be in order. It’s in his blood. If you’re wondering, yes, Evans’ mom is extremely proud and the city of Moss Point honored him with a Certificate of Commendation for his actions.

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Equality

Teen ballerina boldly and beautifully challenges 'dancer body' stereotypes​

Jordan Matter Photography/Facebook

When you picture a ballerina, you may not picture someone who looks like Lizzy Howell. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.

Howell is busting stereotypes and challenging people's ideas of what a dancer should look like just by being herself and doing her thing in her own body. The now-19-year-old from Delaware has been dancing since she was five and has performed in venues around the world, including Eurovision 2019. She has won scholarships and trains up to four hours a day to perfect her skills in various styles of dance.

Jordan Matter Photography shared a documentary video about Howell on Facebook—part of his "Unstoppable" series—that has inspired thousands. In it, we get to see Howell's impressive moves and clear love of the art form. Howell shares parts of her life story, including the loss of her mother in a car accident when she was little and how she was raised by a supportive aunt who helped her pursue her dance ambitions. She also explained how she's had to deal with hate comments and bullying from people who judge her based on her appearance.

"I don't think it's right for people to judge off of one thing," Howell says in the video. And she's right—her size is just one thing.

Howell shares that she's been bullied in dance since she was six, and how it still happens when she goes to dance conventions. She sees people staring at her and whispering about her, but she says the successes she's had in dance and reassurances from other people keep her going.

"Most dancers are skinny, and I'm not," Howell says. "I think a lot of people can relate to me in that sort of way. They see me as an inspiration because I've been told I've been told to quit dance multiple times and I haven't."

"Dance is what I love and it's everything to me," she says. "So I think that just keeps me going."

Howell also has a message for people who might be tempted to say unkind things: "Whatever you say on social media is going to be seen by somebody and it could hurt their feelings. You know, you can't just say something that you think is funny but it might affect somebody else's feelings. I'm a very sensitive person, so I take everything to heart. There's a bunch of people that are like me that take it the same way."

Howell says dance is like therapy for her, which makes it all the worse for people to use her body size as a dancer as an excuse to be jerks. It might be surprising to see someone with Howell's body type doing the kind of dance she does, but anyone who comments negatively on a person's body—especially a young person has worked hard to train their body to create art—is a first-rate a-hole.

A few years have passed since Howell was interviewed for the "Unstoppable" video, and she's still showing that she truly is unstoppable. She now has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and regularly posts videos of her dancing in the studio.

Thank you for showing us what bucking the status quo looks like, Lizzy. Keep being bold, dancing beautifully, and showing the haters you won't let them stop you.


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An awkward boy falls for another guy in this short film, and people are loving it.

It's just 25 seconds long, and no one says a word in it. But the trailer for "In a Heartbeat" has the internet talking.

Even the two creators behind the project can't believe the response.

Beth David and Esteban Bravo, students at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida, were "floored" when their Kickstarter page for the short film reached its initial fundraising goal a mere three hours after launching.

The film — the duo's senior thesis project — looks downright adorable, sure. But it's the subject matter that really makes the short stand out among the rest.

Watch the trailer for "In a Heartbeat" (article continues below):

"In a Heartbeat" is about a middle-school boy who "runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams."

It's a story that most audiences have not had a chance to see before.

“Being gay is a subject that hasn't been widely explored in computer animation," Bravo explained in a video promoting the film, noting that rates of bullying for LGBTQ teens are much higher than their straight and cisgender (non-transgender) peers.  

The film is a heartstring-tugging reminder that those kids — and LGBTQ adults — deserve their stories be told on-screen, too.

“We want to put out a message of love and self acceptance to all the kids and young people who struggle to identify as LGBT+, just like [the main character] Sherwin does,” David said.

David and Bravo have had fun promoting the film using parodies of iconic movie posters, like "The Fault in Our Stars."

Image courtesy of "In a Heartbeat."

And 2005's "Brokeback Mountain."

Image courtesy of "In a Heartbeat."

But the film's rapidly growing online fandom is even cooler, reflecting audiences' hunger for a delightful, important queer love story like this one.

The hashtag #InAHeartbeat has been filled with creative works from devoted fans on Tumblr and Instagram. And they definitely give you a sense of just how important this film is shaping up to be for many young people.

"I'm genuinely happy to see LGBT representation, especially when it's shown at a young age, with something that's as sweet and simple as a crush," one fan wrote on Instagram.

#inaheartbeat #heart #love #art #myart #fanart #scketch #scketchbook #cute

A post shared by Maria Isupova (@maridiamsy) on

"Okay if you don't know what in a heartbeat is don't talk to me," joked another.

Some fans are even pulling out the all-caps to express their excitement.

"We're very touched by the response we've gotten so far and we're happy to know that our project has already had a positive impact on so many people," the creators say of the overwhelming fandom.  

"It proves to us that there is a need and a want for media that addresses LGBT+ themes in a positive and lighthearted way," they note, "and gives us hope that films like this could be more widely accepted and produced in the future!"

To learn more about the short film, visit its Kickstarter page.

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