Should kids working away from home - Parenting Issues Message Board

Welch · 11-14-2002, 01:04 PM

Is it o.k. for junior high and high school kids to work away from home while still in school?

In one way I can see it would be educational but in another I can see it taking away from studies.

Chelle1977 · 11-14-2002, 01:14 PM

Yes, teens that are old enough to drive themselves to work, should have a parttime job while still in high school.

I worked while I attended high school and maintained a 3.98 GPA in high school. I also worked during college and graduated *** laude.

If the student is too busy with extracurricular activities during the actual school year (which is possible and is also good for their development), then they should have a summer job. Working at a crappy job shows them that they want to work hard to achieve more in life.

Obviously, if grades start to slip, then adjustments should be made.

Greenberry · 11-14-2002, 02:39 PM

I started babysitting at age 12, got my first real job (before I could drive) at an ice cream place when I was 14 and had a job of some kind or other from that point on until I quit working after my daughter was born when I was 29. It was great for me. I hated extracurricular clubs in school, and my grades never suffered. You know your own child, and you should evaluate whether or not they can handle a job. If you're not sure, maybe they could get a short term Christmas job for the next few weeks to try it out. If it doesn't seem to be working, they quit after Christmas.

01-08-2003, 11:18 PM

Yes, it's perfectly fine for them to have an after-school job. I have been working since I turned 16, except for the last 4 months, because I just had a baby. But I am currently job hunting again. Anyways, I think that it would be good for them...it will teach them more responsibility, work ethic, and more about the real world, plus they'll be able to earn some money and learn the value of money...there are a lot of benefits as long as they keep up with their studies I think it's an excellent idea.

01-14-2003, 02:14 AM

I never had a problem with my son working. He worked where I worked so I got to keep an eye on him plus he got to pay for alot of his own things and soon learned that that $100.00 pair of Nikes wore out just as quick as a $30.00 pair of Keds. He soon learned which was the better buy. You could possibly restrict his working to say just weekends. A kid I worked with once was paying his parents every paycheck as rent. Curious about this I asked his Mom one day thinking that this was kind of a crappy deal. You know he's got to pay to live at home thing. She told me that 1) they were teaching him the value of budgeting his money in the real world and 2) all the money he was paying them at a certain time (I can't remember what) but he was getting it all back to start his life away from home. So basically he was saving it without knowing it.

[This message has been edited by Irish Cream (edited 01-14-2003).]