Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Usually jobs help limit the amount of screw off time and set better schedules. This generally improves grades as opposed to just farting around doing whatever the heck you want, when you want.
If he can't find an employer, unlikely due to his age and demographics in most areas, then he can try and do something on his own. Say cutting grass, pressure washing, pool service etc. All low skill, easy entry but profitable labor jobs almost anyone can do.
I haven't seen a kid come around wanting to cut the grass or shovel snow for decades. We DID have some useless entitled teeners come by a few years ago wanting to borrow our snow blower because it snowed boo coo and shoveling is such hard work.
"Help Wanted" signs are EVERYWHERE in my area. But as you've said, he may be too young for most jobs. I got my first job though a high school program.
I would let him work with the caveat that if his grades suffer, he will have to stop working.
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
When I was in HS, I had a part-time job. I worked Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays - so only 3 school nights and we closed at 8:00pm. I was also permitted to do homework between customers. I was a solid A/B student, had a social life, and made my car and insurance payments on time each month.
It will be tough to get hired at 14. Our own 3 started working part time jobs at 16. They all played sports, so their work experience was mainly limited to weekends and summer hours. Fourteen seems young, but he could certainly cut grass or pet sit.
If your son takes the Red Cross training now, he'll probably never have to worry about a summer job, my kids all worked as lifeguards.
lifeguards never have a problem getting work; even through the winter, all inside pools need them.
Also, someone else said that it's better for kids to be busier and it is with grades because they have to set aside enough time to study, it also helps them when they get to college to be able to manage their time. When they get to college, if they are still an athlete at the college level they may not have time for a job then
I have a 16 year old. The way her course schedule looks for her junior year, she'll be too busy to work. She babysits sometimes for extra cash, but generally if she needs something, we provide it. School is her main job. We've told her she can get a summer job if she wants, but she doesn't have to.
We do have groups of boys who push their mowers around the neighborhood, stopping at houses where the grass is high and offering to cut the yard for $25-$40, and people on Nextdoor seem eager to hire teens to do things like pet sitting or yard work.
Usually jobs help limit the amount of screw off time and set better schedules.
That right there could be the best benefit to the 14-year-old getting a job. It really depends on how mature he is.
When I had various jobs from 13+, I found that a valued my leisure time even more, even though I had less of it. And I became more efficient at doing my homework in order to not lose all of that leisure time due to work.
But there is the "right balance" of work vs school. For me, it was about 15 hours/week at first. Saturday and two weekdays. That left me time to balance my schoolwork and leisure time.
A great way to teach them responsibility is by letting them try out a job and earn their own car. Pay their own insurance (likely under your plan, but they foot their share), pay their own gas, etc.
Both my teenagers have been working for a few years now. My 16 year old has been ref'ing since he was 13 and now will sometimes work the whole entire weekend. My daughter has been babysitting/tutoring/Teaching since she was 13. She's 18 now and works every night after school at Mathnasium.
Both are straight A students and my daughter was just accepted into Duke. Working should not affect their grades/school. It's a great life lesson to start early with managing your time etc.
It will be tough to get hired at 14. Our own 3 started working part time jobs at 16. They all played sports, so their work experience was mainly limited to weekends and summer hours. Fourteen seems young, but he could certainly cut grass or pet sit.
If your son takes the Red Cross training now, he'll probably never have to worry about a summer job, my kids all worked as lifeguards.
DD went to work at the family business when she was 13 (20 years later, she owns and runs it). She saved up enough in 3 years to buy my old car from me when she turned 16 and got her license (I bought a new one at that time). The summer before, though, at 15, she worked TWO jobs at once (during the week at the family business and Saturday and Sunday in a local petting zoo all day giving pony rides and mucking out cages). She worked 7 days a week...she really wanted that car, earned it herself, and we knew she was responsible.
Last edited by Mrs. Skeffington; 04-24-2018 at 09:15 AM..
I think the best solution is to sit down and have several long discussions about future plans (college and beyond). If different members of the family have different ideas about the future that is being aimed for, it is difficult to work together. So being open with each other about plans is step #0. Note that there may be differences in opinion, and this is normal. Everyone should still be respectful of these differences and allow others to talk, and listen to each other. Everybody should be willing to compromise to find something that works for everybody. For instance, if he says he wants to go out of state for 4 years of undergrad, but the money isn't there for it, then you are perfectly reasonable to say that he can go, but only if he can get the money himself. And it is NOT TOO EARLY to have a frank discussion about student loan debt! Also, encourage your son to look at scholarship applications now, even if he doesn't fill any out, just to get an honest idea of what he can get at various GPA levels and how much he might need in terms of extracurriculars.
Another consideration - 9th grade is when grades start going on a student's permanent record, and thus will matter when looking at colleges and scholarships. Some people can multi-task much better than others - and they can work a lot and still get good grades. Others have more difficulty.
Whether you are 14 or 24 or 44, life is often about finding the right balance between expanding your comfort zone on the one hand, and having realistic expectations on the other. Encourage your son to make an honest assessment of his multi-tasking abilities. It's best to learn this when you are young, not when you are 44 and twice divorced!
I think that it is much better to guide him through the process of gathering information and being honest with himself, instead of simply telling him what to do. The only way to get good at making big decisions is to practice.
My oldest two worked 15-20 hrs a week in high school and were top 20% in their graduating class.
If he's driven enough to come up with this plan, his grades will probably be fine while he works.
Congrats on having an industrious child.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
agree 100 percent
