Dear Grandparenting: My grandchildren took the summer off in 2020 when COVID was going around like crazy. That was understandable.

Two of them got spotty part-time jobs in the summer of 2021 doing this or that, but it didn’t amount to anything in my book.

Now it’s the summer of 2022 and I am still waiting to learn how my grandchildren plan to spend the summer of 2022. My daughter’s two girls are teenagers. My son has one boy and one girl, ages 10 and 11.

My daughter’s oldest girl applied for jobs and got two offers. Neither one had what she was looking for — thanks but no thanks. That’s no way for a youngster to enter the workforce. You get your foot in the door and work up. Don’t ever come asking me for money if you won’t work. Why can’t these kids just get a job? Patsy Jenks, Leesburg, Florida

Dear Patsy: Teenagers seeking jobs should find themselves in the driver’s seat this summer, as human resource professionals and labor economists predict the summer teen employment rate will reach its highest point in 15 years.

Many of the usual summer employers like restaurants, theme parks and hotels are also seeking to fill higher-paid fulltime positions and may hire promising youngsters for those spots.

Customer-service jobs in sectors including hospitality, tourism and hospitals also go begging, often because older workers are slow to return due to COVID concerns.

Besides more job opportunities, teens can command higher salaries, often with greater work flexibility. Applicants are frequently offered jobs on the day of their interview.

Since the demand for workers continues to exceed the supply, youngsters can afford to be a little picky this summer. Some job placement professionals advise asking for a higher wage, better schedule or more responsibility, the better to test one’s job bargaining skills. There may never be a better time.

Grand remark of the week

Traci Smith from Kingsport, Tennessee was driving sons Thomas and Timmy home from an overnight visit with their grandparents.

Timmy told his mother how he learned all about the Peregrine falcons, the fastest birds on earth.

Then she asked Thomas if he learned anything.

“I learned you can’t hide broccoli in a glass of milk.”