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I'm all for a work ethic -- if it were just 24 hours (the 4 6 hour shifts) it would be okay but apparently she needs to work longer on weekends also.
If she's enjoying high school, she needs to keep in mind that high school is a once in a lifetime experience (good or bad) and too much time at work means she can't go to the games and some of the fun things.
It gets a lot easier to work once you're in college because class time is much less. In high school you're there up to 8 hours a day, but in college a full course load is only 15 to 18 hours which amounts to about only 4 hours a day.
When my children were in high school they were very active in sports, volunteering and extra curricular activities. We heard many horror stories from their friends about unreasonable bosses who forced high school students to work until midnight or 1 AM (usually illegally) or work 30 to 40 hours a week and threaten to fire them if they complained.
We encouraged our children to look for jobs at places that did not have late hours and to be very upfront with how hours they could work per week. Our son worked at a store that closed at 10 PM and our daughter worked at a restaurant that closed at 9 PM so they never had to fight with their bosses about working too late. They each worked about 15 hours during the school year and full time most summers.
All three of mine worked during high school. However, I did not allow them to work at night on school nights. I would insist my 16 yr old quit if those hours were required. It just isn't worth it.
Kaleetan has a perspective from someone still in school and probably what his own parents think and say. I think it's a valid opinion -- and I agree that childhood is such a short time that parents can decide when it's too much work and not enough play.
My kids often have worked very long hours on the weekends and that didn't bother me but I wouldn't them too tired to be in school or missing out on some things that you only get when in high school -- if they are at all into those things.
Last edited by Jaded; 10-14-2013 at 01:05 AM..
Reason: Removed deleted post
In my opinion, that's too many hours for a high school student. It would also most likely not be legal in my state. We have stricter laws than most states on how many hours per day and per week a minor can work as well as a latest time a minor can work.
My first job was retail, and I worked 2 weeknights and on weekends. My grades suffered. I wasn't good with time management. After that I got a job at a restaurant and only worked about 2-3 shifts/week. That worked out fine. I didn't have any sports or anything going on, though.
Both my kids held jobs during the school year. I think the proposed schedule is way too much. It's a fine line for teens to walk. Both my kids were busy with school and social lives and their jobs did not interfere. In fact, I think it made them more conscious of time management. But, if their jobs demanded that many hours or if they were not able to manage the balance, I would have stepped in.
My daughter got a job at a drug store about 1/2 mile from our house when she was a junior. It was, during school year, about 15-20 hours a week, tops. 2 nights, from 5 to 10. Then either a full day saturday, or half shift saturday, half shift sunday. And she could not have worked anymore hours then that, not with school.
Keep coddling your children! Keep worrying about their lack of time spent with friends! Keep worrying about their self-esteem! And then, I suspect, you will start complaining about why they aren't employed when the get their college degree.
I was in high school in the early nineties. I had at least one job from the time I was twelve; most of the time two jobs. I delivered a newspaper route every morning, and worked fast food, grocery store, mall store in the evenings and weekends. 25-30 hours a week was completely normal. I also was involved in after school sports (2 varsity sports every year), as well as clubs which met after hours(forensics and student council). Despite this, I was able to still get great grades and attend a university often ranked in the top 25.
Did this happen because I was a "nerd" who spent all of their time focused on school and work? I don't think so. I spent a LOT of time hanging out with my friends. Probably too much time. There was a lot of "bad behavior" my parents would have frowned upon. But I certainly had the time to do it, as well as everything else.
For all of the parents who feel their children shouldn't get a job in high school (or should only work a few hours); please check out the Work and Employment forum. There are endless threads from people who can't get jobs. They have great grades in high school and college, but no one wants to hire them? Why is that? Because they have no (or very little) real world experience.
My extensive customer service jobs in high school enabled me to snag an "office" job while in college, which enabled be to actually have a decent resume when I looked for a real job.
Keep coddling your children! Keep worrying about their lack of time spent with friends! Keep worrying about their self-esteem! And then, I suspect, you will start complaining about why they aren't employed when the get their college degree.
I was in high school in the early nineties. I had at least one job from the time I was twelve; most of the time two jobs. I delivered a newspaper route every morning, and worked fast food, grocery store, mall store in the evenings and weekends. 25-30 hours a week was completely normal. I also was involved in after school sports (2 varsity sports every year), as well as clubs which met after hours(forensics and student council). Despite this, I was able to still get great grades and attend a university often ranked in the top 25.
Did this happen because I was a "nerd" who spent all of their time focused on school and work? I don't think so. I spent a LOT of time hanging out with my friends. Probably too much time. There was a lot of "bad behavior" my parents would have frowned upon. But I certainly had the time to do it, as well as everything else.
For all of the parents who feel their children shouldn't get a job in high school (or should only work a few hours); please check out the Work and Employment forum. There are endless threads from people who can't get jobs. They have great grades in high school and college, but no one wants to hire them? Why is that? Because they have no (or very little) real world experience.
My extensive customer service jobs in high school enabled me to snag an "office" job while in college, which enabled be to actually have a decent resume when I looked for a real job.
Employers are looking for experience.
Wow thanks for the heads up... I guess I don't know what I'm talking about...oh wait..my daughter worked limited hours in high school (weekend mornings only), worked an average of "only" 15 hrs/week throughout college and graduated college job in hand. Silly me.
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