Teenagers are expensive and want things. That’s just the nature of being a teenager. Their friends have cool things and they wear cool clothes and typically teenagers are unconcerned with things such as the cost of living and the water bill. Most kids don’t know how much their parents make annually or how far their salary goes when it comes to paying the bills and buying extra expenditures. Some kids don’t even know there’s such a thing as a water bill. They typically understand whether their parents make a good living or whether things are tight based on the attitudes and comments made by the parents.
Some parents believe that once kids reach a certain age they should be employed part time somewhere. Some parents believe that buying their kids a car when they turn sixteen or seventeen is not teaching their children the value of money, and thus there are some kids who want to work for the things they want.
Other parents believe that a child’s job is school and grades and focusing on their education and extra curricular activities. Many parents feel that it is part of their job to supply their children with the things they need to make them successful in life. Some parents consider cell phones and cars a necessity.
There are many benefits to working. A first job usually doesn’t pay much and it’s not unusual for an individual to experience shock when they realize just how much of their paycheck disappears before they even get it and how much things cost in comparison to what they bring home. Kids quickly learn that if they want things in life they are going to need a good job, and often having a job can be a motivator in getting into a good college and landing a well paying position.
Teens who work tend to develop an appreciation for all that their parents have done for them and exactly how good they have had it, even when their parents only made marginal incomes. Some teens resent the fact that they have to work and feel put upon to grow up faster than they would prefer.
Teens who work have less time for other things that they enjoy, and often their grades suffer because they try to accomplish their homework in very brief periods of time to allow for other activities. On average most teenagers have between two and three hours worth of homework a night. Sometimes holding down a job, getting their homework done, and still squeezing in time to finish out their youth with a bang is too much. There is a benefit to working during the summer months but not working during the school year.
Bringing home a paycheck is a wonderful opportunity to teach children the value of tax information and how our taxation system works. This is a lesson that can be beneficial to learn with guidance than trying to understand it and comply with all the various rules once they are out on their own.
There are many down falls to holding down a job too young as well. Adolescence is the time frame in life where adulthood is lurking around the corner. Kids have to grow up soon enough and some people feel that forcing kids to get a job is unfair to their youth. We no longer marry off children at the age of thirteen because we recognize that they are not equipped to handle the responsibility and that we still consider them children. From early adulthood until perhaps death, many people find that the time spent working comes soon enough and that pushing it on kids is simply robbing them of what is left of their youth.
There are kids who want to get a job. They of course have a motivating factor behind this, typically it’s something they want that they either know their parents can’t afford or won’t buy for them. This is a sign of a good work ethic and logical problem solving. Whether it is actually good for them to get a job or not depends on circumstances such as grades and parental beliefs and other activities.
Whether working is something in your own child’s immediate future is a totally individual decision. Each circumstance is different just as each child is unique to their circumstance. While working adds a lot of value, it also takes away from other ventures, including school. Each parent must evaluate the situation and determine what is best for their own child’s situation.
