Teens

It is the fourth time that I work as a group leader for teenagers. I've always had the same age group, 14 to 18. And with time, I notice that a group of teenagers always includes the same elements.

There's always at least one trouble maker. He might not be rude or particularly mean, but he doesn't like listening to orders. He's constantly challenging your authority like it was some sort of game. Either you manage to make him understand that you're not here to annoy him but only to make sure everyone enjoys their holiday, and he'll be more cooperative, or your efforts are vain and he'll be an annoying brat until the end. But you know you'll get your revenge when you write the reports of the holiday, and his parents will ground him or beat him until he cannot sit on his butt anymore, mwahahahaha. (... one can always dream.)

There's the guy/girl you know from last year. He/she was in your group in a previous trip and he/she knows how things work, and he/she will never try to challenge you but will adopt a friendly behaviour, as if you'd known each other for ever.

There's the girl who has a boyfriend at home. In ten months it will be a year that they are together, so it's very serious. She's madly in love and misses him terribly, she's constantly stuck to her mobile phone in case he might text her. And she doesn't care about meeting new friends here, all that matters is that in 20 days, 7 hours and 22 minutes she will see her boyfriend again. I won't make too much fun about this one because this was me at 15... Except I didn't have a mobile phone.

There is the material girls trio. Yes, there are always three of them. You never see one of them without the two others, they always have perfect clothes, perfect hair and perfect make up. They have all their make up in their schoolbag so they can fix it at every break. Their main topics of conversation are boys, make up and arguing over whether that guy's pair of Ray Bans are fake or not. And they like to annoy you with hundreds of pointless questions, like 5-year-olds do. They give the impression that they cannot take care of themselves even though they surely can, and they don't hesitate to ask you very private questions, and all three of them ask questions at the same time. "What are we doing next? And what are we doing tomorrow? Can I move to another host family if I don't like mine? What's the difference between Starbucks coffee and another brand? Why are Americans so fat? Do you get paid for taking care of us? Do you like this job? Do you have aids? (I swear a girl asked me this) Do the families get paid for hosting us? How much? Do chickens have large talons?"
Some days you feel very patient and you answer all their questions. Some other days though you don't have the energy to bear them and you answer something very cynical or mean, that you might regret afterwards. "Attempt suicide" might not have been a clever answer to that girl who asked me what was the best way to be allowed to go home before the end of the programme if she didn't like it. Sorry, but I'm only human.

There's also the one who's older than all the rest, but he's very discreet. He's well integrated in the group but you barely notice him. And the rest of the group barely notices him as well. At the end of the three weeks, half of the group still have no idea who he is when you mention his name. Antoine? There's no Antoine in our group Cecile!

There's always a tomboy. You know she's a girl because you have a file with all the useful information on the kids. But since she looks just like a boy and always hangs out with the boys, you still get the names wrong and call her Christophe once or twice.

Last but not least, the funny guy. He's either the tallest and oldest in the group, very self assured, and acts like he's dominating everyone, or he's the one that is so short that he looks like he's three years younger than everyone else, so he uses humour to be accepted in the group. He loves making everybody laugh, and what he loves even more is making the group leaders laugh. And you like him, because you cannot resist a man who makes you laugh, even when he's just a kid, and when you laugh with him you forget a moment all the pressure that you're enduring. A year later you still remember one or two of his jokes.

Believe it or not, I always have the same pattern. And every year it takes me less time to understand them, and to like them just the way they are. If you're in charge of teenagers, just make a little effort to remember what you were like at their age, then you'll understand their concerns and you'll be able to help them better. And they'll be grateful for it and you'll have a very good time with them. Yup I love my summer job. That's the first week though. The first week is always easy. In the second week things start to get more complicated and by the end of the programme you'll probably hear me shout that I hate this job and I hate these spoiled little brats. But it wouldn't be fun if it were too easy, would it?