| Parenting
Teens With Love & Logic by Foster Cline, M.D.
& Jim Fay
Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees: Teaching your Kids the Value
of a Buck!
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SHOULD
YOUR ADOLESCENT GET A JOB?
by Tania K. Cowling
Teens love beautiful cars, name brand clothing, the latest sports
equipment, stereos, computers and cell phones. Maybe this sounds like
the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” to you, but to
many teens in the 21st century, these are the things they must have.
Since these items are on the expensive list, many teens feel that
having a part-time job is not so bad; it will pay for their expensive
lifestyle.
There are many benefits to allowing teenagers to take on part-time
jobs after school and on weekends. Besides extra money to spend (and
hopefully save) jobs teach kids the value of punctuality, professionalism,
managing their time, and putting forth one’s best effort. Jobs
can also provide experience that may help teens get into college or
even plant the seeds for a future career. On the other hand, there
is a downside where too much work can cause fatigue, as well as cut
into time for extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs and
socializing with friends. Most of all, jobs can detract from a child’s
most important mission at this time in his life; doing well in school.
Here’s a look at the benefits, drawbacks to part-time work that
will help you make an informed decision.
THE
BENEFITS:
- Life
Skills: Work skills prepare your child for adulthood.
- Self
Confidence: On-the-job training helps develop a sense of
responsibility and independence
- Independence:
Earning money will enable your child to buy the extra things
wanted and teach responsible money management.
- Adult
Supervision: If both parents work outside the home, an
afterschool job can give your child some adult supervision during
those crucial afternoon hours.
- Career
Path: The right job or jobs may expose your child to new
work possibilities and set him on the path to a lifetime career.
THE
DRAWBACKS:
- Lower Grades:
Working more than 13-20 hours per week could be associated with lower
grades in school.
- Poor Socialization:
Too many work hours interfere with extracurricular activities and
social relationships.
- Bad Influences:
Older co-workers in some jobs may have bad habits that could lead
teens astray.
LABOR
LAWS:
- Children
under 14 are restricted to delivering newspapers, working in a non-hazardous
business owned by a parent, baby-sitting, or doing other minor domestic
chores in a private home, or performing on stage, screen or radio.
They may work only between 7am and 7pm during the school year and
until 9pm in the summer.
- Children,
ages 14 and15, may work at non-hazardous jobs for three hours on school
days, eight hours on non-school days, 18 hours during a school week
and 40 hours during a non-school week.
- Children
aged 15-and-older, teens may perform any non-hazardous job for any
number of hours.
Some states
impose stiffer restrictions—check with the labor department in
your area.
AS
A PARENT, HOW CAN YOU OFFER GUIDANCE?
- Talk about
what your child wants from the job. Is it career preparation? A venue
for socialization? Or is it just for money?
- Discuss
the importance of maintaining good grades, continuing extracurricular
activities and keeping up his social life.
- Talk about
preparing a budget that includes saving as well as spending.
- Visit
the job site with your child and meet the supervisor.
- Help your
child look for better jobs as time goes on. Explore jobs
that relate to career interests or exposure to a wider range of career
options.
BE
CAREFUL—JOBS GOOD AND BAD:
Appropriate jobs may include:
- Counselor
at a summer camp or daycare facility.
- Working
in a bakery, or ice cream shop.
- Retail
work—clothing and sports equipment are enticing to teens.
- Working
in animal shelters, veterinary offices, nursing homes, or hospitals.
- Babysitting
or working in local daycare centers.
- Stocking
shelves or packing bags at a grocery store.
According
to the National Consumers League, these are the five worst jobs for
young teens:
- Delivery
and other driving; including forklifts and other motorized equipment.
- Working
alone in cash-based businesses such as convenience stores, gas stations
and fast-food establishments.
- Traveling
with youth crews; selling candy, magazine subscriptions and other
consumer goods on street corners or to homes in strange neighborhoods.
- Cooking—exposure
to hot oil, hot water and steam.
- Construction—including
work at heights and contact with electrical power.
The best advice
to parents is to remember to be supportive, but also watch for signs
that your child may be overdoing it; a drop in grades, fatigue, irritability
(beyond the usual teen moodiness) and no time for family and friends.
Your child may be fast approaching adulthood, but still needs your guidance
from time to time.
Sources:
http://www.aak.com Working Teens
Parenting Teens With Love & Logic by Foster Cline, M.D. & Jim
Fay
http://www.drspock.com
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