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I worked all through high school and kept a high GPA (National Honor Society) and worked in college. Unlike lots of brats now who shriek at the idea of working and going to school too. Oh the horror! Sheesh!
Most of my friends and I held jobs during high school. Most of us hated our jobs but I think we were all much better off for it. Those of us that didn't have jobs were home bored all day. Sure they had it easier but their parents drove them crazy and they always had to ask for money when we'd do anything.
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Originally Posted by stepka
She also drug her feet about getting a driver's license and at 20 she still doesn't have it, so I told her I"d not be giving her rides.
One thing that has consistently shocked me about teenagers now is their lack of will to learn to drive. I've heard about this problem more times than I can count. When I was 15 I couldn't wait to stop asking my parents for rides everywhere. Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon, but kids these days are very confusing to me.
Mine will be 16 in September. She takes a heavy course load of honors and AP classes and plays three sports. Still, if she wants cash for her lovely social life then she'll need to get some sort of job over the summer.
Having said that, I think parents need to be careful when it comes to their high schoolers working. I worked thirty hours a week starting my junior year and then worked in a factory over the summers close to 60 hours a week. While it sounds great to have a work ethic and make some money, it's also dangerous if kids miss out on a little bit a freedom. There is no way my kids will not go out for extracurriculars so they can have a job. Plus when doing menial work, you also tend to do as your told and not show much initiative. It's not always great for growth.
Mine will be 16 in September. She takes a heavy course load of honors and AP classes and plays three sports. Still, if she wants cash for her lovely social life then she'll need to get some sort of job over the summer.
Having said that, I think parents need to be careful when it comes to their high schoolers working. I worked thirty hours a week starting my junior year and then worked in a factory over the summers close to 60 hours a week. While it sounds great to have a work ethic and make some money, it's also dangerous if kids miss out on a little bit a freedom. There is no way my kids will not go out for extracurriculars so they can have a job. Plus when doing menial work, you also tend to do as your told and not show much initiative. It's not always great for growth.
Well said. If you want your children to start having a general disdain for the human race at an early age, make them get a job in the service sector dealing with the entitled general public on a regular basis.... I'm not sure if forcing children to work while they're still in high school teaches them anything that they can't learn later in life or when they finish college.
Well said. If you want your children to start having a general disdain for the human race at an early age, make them get a job in the service sector dealing with the entitled general public on a regular basis.... I'm not sure if forcing children to work while they're still in high school teaches them anything that they can't learn later in life or when they finish college.
If you want to teach your children to start treating people respectfully at an early age, make them get a job in the service sector dealing with the entitled general public on a regular basis. They will promptly learn how it feels to be treated poorly-and why they shouldn't treat others that way.
If you want to teach your children to start treating people respectfully at an early age, make them get a job in the service sector dealing with the entitled general public on a regular basis. They will promptly learn how it feels to be treated poorly-and why they shouldn't treat others that way.
Do unto others...
If you've waited until the age of 16 to teach them this lesson, then most likely it's already too late. There's better way to teach your children to respect others.
There are certain career paths where working part time starting as a teen is an advantage, and certain career paths where that is a disadvantage.
So my rule is that my kids must always be diligently working towards becoming self supporting, starting in grade school. As long as they are diligently working towards it (going to school, taking internships, whatever) I will support them as best I can. If they start to slack, or start going in a different direction, that's when my (financial) support will also start to slack. In other words, if they are a lazy student in high school, then they will need a part time job if they want anything more than a roof, some clothes, and three square meals. But if they are working hard, I will continue to support them as much as I can through college if needed.
If you've waited until the age of 16 to teach them this lesson, then most likely it's already too late. There's better way to teach your children to respect others.
I certainly agree it should be taught from day one. But: “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”
There are certain career paths where working part time starting as a teen is an advantage, and certain career paths where that is a disadvantage.
So my rule is that my kids must always be diligently working towards becoming self supporting, starting in grade school. As long as they are diligently working towards it (going to school, taking internships, whatever) I will support them as best I can. If they start to slack, or start going in a different direction, that's when my (financial) support will also start to slack. In other words, if they are a lazy student in high school, then they will need a part time job if they want anything more than a roof, some clothes, and three square meals. But if they are working hard, I will continue to support them as much as I can through college if needed.
In what career paths is working as a teen a disadvantage?
This. My husband was working since age 16 and by the time he was 24, he was a home owner. I think starting work early really gives people a head start towards savings.
Savings isn't the only way to get there. Earning potential also works. I didn't work until after I graduated from college, I instead used my evenings and weekends to study hard, and took classes over summer. Graduated at 21 and got my first job, which was a well paying professional job. After one year with a stable income, the bank approved me for a mortgage and I was a homeowner at 22.
A teen who works between 10 and 15 hours a week during the school year tends to earn higher grades than a teen who doesn’t work at all, according to the Family Education website. Thirteen to fifteen hours seems to be the breakpoint, however, as teens who work 13 to 20 hours a week are more likely to have lower grades. The extra hours of work may cut into homework and also decrease time for social or extracurricular activities. Family Education also says that teens who work longer hours may be more likely to use illegal drugs or alcohol, possibly because older co-workers may encourage them to indulge or set a poor example.
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