Allowing your teen to get a part time job in high school is a tough decision. For some parents, it is a financial necessity. For others, it is a sacrifice that takes the teen out of the house much too often. For most, however, it is more a question of whether or not the teen will get any value from the job or if working early in life takes away from the enjoyment of youth.
The decision you make should be partly dependent on what your teen wants and needs, but that should not be the only concern. Before you let your teen work, there are certain things you should consider:
Grades
How good are your teen s grades? Is he or she responsible with homework? Can your teen manage his or her schedule well enough to add work and still get everything done that is required? Can he or she find work that will be flexible with the school schedule or extracurricular activities in which your teen participates?
Responsibility
Has your teen demonstrated responsibility by following house rules? A job requires your teen to be responsible for adhering to a schedule, using teamwork, and showing up even when he or she would rather be with friends. Does your teen have the self discipline to work?
Is your teen capable of getting himself or herself out of bed in the morning without you having to help? If their work schedule is simply something else you will be responsible for keeping track of, you may want to reconsider.
Before allowing your teen to work, you should talk to them about all the things they may encounter. Your teen needs to have good hygiene and maintain a professional appearance (it is even ok to make your teen responsible for doing his or her own laundry to keep a uniform clean).
Your teen should be able to handle criticism well and tolerate constructive criticism. Does your teen get along well with others? Most employment for teens is in retail, requiring them to work with other teens and adults as well as provide customer service.
Purpose
Why does your teen want a paycheck? Does he or she have specific goals in mind? Can you help them develop a plan so that they can save some of the money they earn?
While allowing your teen to work while in school can be a difficult and personal choice, and the job may affect your entire family because the schedule will throw off things like family dinner times, working can help your teen develop a sense of responsibility and maturity.
Your teen s job can also teach him or her valuable skills that will be useful later in life. It can also help your teen s self esteem and give him or her a sense of control over his or her own life. Having a job and maintaining a good grade point average can provide your teen with a competitive edge when applying to college as well.
Author Resource:
Norbert Georget is an accomplished professional speaker, teen motivator and author of the book, No-Nonsense Parenting For Today’s Teenager – How To Feel Like A Good Parent Even When Your Teenager Hates You. To learn more go to http://www.parentingtodaysteenager.com/home2book.html
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