Teens and Part-Time Work

Here in the states at 16 they also can begin working. Make her a deal, she can have a part time job, as long as it does not interfere with her grades and sports.

School is her full time job, anything else, is just fluff.

I think many teens are excellent at prioritizing and learning to do many different activities. Will also look good when she applies to college, to show she was able to maintain her grades while working and school.

May is about when school will break for the summer here, is it the same there? If so, let her get a job for the summer. She how she handles it. Then, before school starts, revisit it and review the guidelines for keeping it.

This is what she wants, it is better than you wanting her to get a job and her not wanting to.

I wanted a part-time job when I was that age and my parents were not crazy about the idea but eventually relented - on the condition that I kept my grades up. If my schoolwork and grades slipped, no more job. It was only 10 to 15 hours a week so it wasn't THAT much of a time commitment, but it did teach me how to prioritize my time. On the school nights that I had to work (it was no later than 9 pm) I did my homework right after I came home from school because I wouldn't have time to do it later. And it gave me a taste of working in the real world with the public and up until then I felt I had been relatively sheltered. My stepsons are 17 and 18 and both are working at their local Burger King (the older one has graduated high school and the younger one is 11th grade) - they both pull 32 hours a week, and at least with the one of the them still in school, it doesn't leave a lot of time for getting into trouble (which they had before - idle hands are the devil's workshop!).

I know it's difficult, but don't keep her from growing up if this is something she wants to try. If she's got that much ambition, don't hold her back. There's way too many posts on here from parents who can't get their teenage (and older) kids to do anything - done with high school, won't do college, won't find a job, won't even get a driver's license, etc. Seems they are still "enjoying their youth" but for a little too long if you ask me. At least she has some drive. At that age, I couldn't wait to get a part-time job, get my driver's license, and then finish high school and head off to college! And I still had plenty of "youth" left to enjoy! As long as she can handle a job along with school and such, let her go for it. Like you said, she can always quit if it doesn't work out. However, I would not consider what she earns as "household income" - my job earned me my money to do with as I chose, whether it was to put in my own savings, or spend. I was not expected to turn it over to my parents to help them pay the bills (I was responsible for keeping the gas tank of the car filled though).

In my experience, kids that are not allowed to try things, and not allowed to attempt some grown-up responsibilities, or are not expected to, end up either losing confidence in themselves, or becoming resentful and eventually rebelling. I don't like seeing kids grow up too much too fast, but I don't like seeing kids kept from growing up when they should (I see this in my husband's ex with their kids so it's a bit of a sore spot with me). Don't let the message be from you that you don't think she is capable of handling it.

Amen DVMMOM!!!
Very well said.

I want to stress to not think of her money as yours for bills and such. This is hers to use as she pleases.
That being said I would coach her into setting an amount from every paycheck into a retirement fund of some sort. She will not have Social Security. My son started with his first job and now is amassing a nice size nest egg for the day he retires. He is 22.
Jobs teach people responsibility much more so than chores or animals in the house.
I say go for it, let her have a job and see how it goes.

There's PT that's 30 hours a week and PT that's 5. Find the balance that is right for her and her schedule/coursework. My SS, who took several AP classes and played a sport, sometimes only worked a shift or two on weekends, but he learned a lot from holding the job anyway. I would let her try and put a cap on how many hours she can work at first. We told SS that school came first and we would sit down with him if his grades slipped and re-evaluate the situation. He was partially earning money for car insurance and gas money. I actually think it's good that she's more of a go-getter. I also found that many teen girls are more mature than many teen boys, so the fact that your son didn't want a job or to drive may be more about gender. She's always going to be your baby, but you still should let her fly.

Let her work, the experience is good preparation. Don't stiffle or retrict her unless her school work begins to suffer and she can't make the necessary adjustment.

I believe your probably are overthinking this. Part of raising our children to adulthood is allowing them to make more and more decisions on their own and letting them live with the consequences. I applaud her for having the desire to work. This is where she will begin to get a work ethic and learn how to deal with people in the workplace. Like you pointed out she will be working for the rest of her life. Why not start now under the protection of your safety umbrella?

She is making to move toward independence. I would celebrate it and not shut it down. I believe it is just a good thing and shows she is maturing nicely.

I started working at a restaurant on weekends when I was 14 and continued all through high school. I actually earned enough to not only cover all of my extra expenses like clothes and money to go out (movies, concerts, restaurants) but also 1/3 of my private school tuition, books and school supplies, and car insurance. As long as it's a few hours a week, I would let her try it out. If she can keep up with her other obligations, great. If she can't, then she can stop working during the school year and only work during school break.

a few hours of work a week won't hurt a bright, ambitious, motivated kid one little bit.
actually, it wouldn't hurt ANY kid.
but one who WANTS to work and is doing well in school and socially?
get outa that kid's way!
:D
khairete
S. (whose older kid had 2 businesses- 1 successful!- before he was 16)

It is 16 here in the states too. I had a part time job at that age, I worked one or two afternoons a week and one day on the weekend (back then stores were closed on Sunday's). I am not against kids working, it teaches them responsibility and how to manage money. If it is too much she can always quit and get another job later on.

My son is very ambitious and started a part-time job when he was 17; going into the 11th grade. He got lucky with getting a job at a restaurant just five minutes from where we live, they close at 8:00 and not open on Sunday!! My stipulation was he only work one or two nights during the week and he had to keep his grades up. He's an Honor Student with Straight A's and hasn't slipped a bit. Sometimes it's a little bit of a struggle if there's a big project due or something like that but otherwise he's doing great. I didn't mind driving him back and forth but now he's managed to save up enough for a car, pays the insurance himself and is very responsible.

In my opinion, it just depends on your daughter and if you think she can keep up with everything. You just need to set rules and stick to them.

Good luck!!!

If she wants to work, great!!! Encourage her. I worked my last 3 yrs of high school and all of college because I had to. I got excellent grades and learned a lot of things about people and responsibility that you can't learn in a classroom.
So YES to both questions: 1) yes, let her find a part-time job and 2) yes, I think you are over thinking this! ; )

I was 15 when I got my first job. I was allowed to work no more than 15 hours a week and only on the weekends. I usually only worked 10 hours. I still had time to enjoy my weekends and it was enough that I had my own spending money. As long as it isn't interfering with studies or causing major stress I would let her go for it. Find what work's best. I agree you will probably want to limit the amount she works. You can always increase if she wants and it doing well.

Both my older kids started working at 13 and it didn't effect their grades at all. These were students who played sports that took up a lot of their free time as well. Still they found time to work.

The thing that bothers me is that you want to take her money and include it in the household money. At least that is what I got from your comment, "having more money come into the household would certainly help" Her desire to work is going to fade fast if you stop paying for her things and make her pay for them herself. After all who would work for nothing and that is what you are asking her to do. She will end up with the same and the rest of you will end up with more, who would do that?

A first job is a real learning experience. Learning how to handle work related pressures and difficult personalities is as much a part of growing up as going to school. It is better that she have some experience in a real world work place while she still has the safety net of home and Mom and Dad. If her boss turns out to be a nightmare she will learn how to handle his temper and she will have to ability to quit and look for another job. If she waits until she is out on her own and has rent, utilities ect to pay she may not be able to quit a horrible job. Let her learn while she is still home with you.

I was one of those "I want to work. I want to have my own money." I turned in my application on my 16th birthday (legal age). Got hired a week later at the local ice cream shop. I worked after school a few days a week and on weekends. I even participated in weekend sports (practice during the week) and it didn't overwhelm me. Don't remember how many hours I worked. Mybirthday was at the beginning of the summer, so I worked a lot during the summer break from school. But I think a hard-working student who is responisble will do just fine with work and school, so long as the hours are not too many. So I say let her give it a go. If her grades start to slip or something, she'll have to quit when you say so.

It's nice to know that there are still kids in the world that want to work. Let her try it. At 16 she is old enough to begin to get ready for the real world and what it has to offer.

You are going to have to let go of the "baby" thing. She is almost ready to move out.

As others have said we are to prepare our children to fly on their own. We put into them morals, ehtics and ability to care for themselves and be productive citizens.

A portion of her earnings could go for household but it should be a small percentage such a bill that she is responsible for. I would not put her whole money into the family coffers as she would resent it and not work while at home. Then you have created a monster that will resent you for a long time.

Yes, I think you are over thinking this. Just let things flow naturally and all should be good. Don't compare your children and their abilities as they are both unique.

The other S.

I'd suggest a one day a week commitment. After school mother's helper, help be an assistant coach for a sport she likes, pick up leaves in neighbor's yards, work at your church or synagogue as a teacher's assistant, childcare or help filing or answering phones, maybe read to and visit with an elderly friend (like a mother's helper only hanging out with an older person to relieve a primary care giver or make someone less lonely), or some other position that can be done at one block of time and is flexible if she has a big test or it is away on vacation. I would not want her to be obligated to a several times a week after school commitment, it would take over too much, rather one weekend whole day or afternoon, or one day after school or one evening a week, so she can experience work, generate a bit of extra income but still have the time and flexibility to be a kid and an athlete.

My parents forced me to get a job when I was 16. If I wanted to drive, I had to pay for it myself. So, I worked at mcdonalds about 20 hours a week so I could save up for a car and pay for my own insurance and gas. I was able to get a cheap car when I was 17. I did have to quit sports just to keep up with paying for my car insurance and gas. I was bummed, but I had to grow up and be responsible. My parents were not poor either. They had plenty of money, but they wanted to "teach" me how to be responsible with my own money. Now that I have my own kids, I would rather them be in sports and have time for homework and friends when they get older, rather than trying to be an adult at 16 years old.
If your daughter WANTS to have a job and make her own money, then that's fine. I was forced into it and I think I missed out on a lot

I am not too far out from my teens and I started working at 13 at my parents store, I loved, it...I still love working but am a SAHM at the moment. It never interfered with school, I still make A's and B's and I think it helped adjust for college better for me...I had so many friends who did not do well juggling college and classes because they had never worked before. So it was two completely new life changes.

I would let her do it...

My son started working as a lifeguard at our neighborhood pool when he was 15. Last summer, when he was 16, he switched to life guarding at the YMCA. He made more money, but I had to drive him whenever he worked. I assume he'll work there this summer as well. He's involved with too many things to work during the school year so being a life guard is a perfect job for him. I worked at mcdonalds from the time I turned 16 until I left for college. Luckily they let me take time off when I had rehearsals or other things that would've made my life extra rough if I was working.

Let her try it if that's what she wants. :-)

Try it and see what happens. Let her know that if the pressure is too much that you will help her work it out. Working will teach her as much if not more than school. Also, look at YOUR work world first - what do you and your spouse do and how could she possibly participate there? Or friends that might have businesses that she could work at? Something more interesting than a fast food place would be more of a benefit, I think.

Good luck!

I'm with you on this. I don't want the kids to work in high school either. Their full time job is getting an education. But in this case, she is wanting to work. I think letting her do something like child care, right after school would not go too far into the evening and would provide her with some money.

I had several high school girls who came in at 3 and worked until closing around 6pm. They let the daytime teachers leave and they took over the time while parents were coming and picking up kids. The good thing about this is that the kids were fresh, playful, fun loving, etc...they made afterschool care a blast.

When I was 16, my parents told me what they would pay for and what they wouldn't. If I wanted to drive, I had to pay for the gas and the insurance. If I wanted to go out with friends, I had to pay for it. The only way I could do that was by working part-time. It was pretty much expected of me. Also, many of the kids I went to school with worked part-time. I think it would be beneficial to let her go for it.