My daughter is a high school freshman. She is not old enough to get a “real” job, but I like to have a game plan before she starts asking. The appeal to having is job is MONEY. Almost every teen wants extra spending money in their pocket and since Mom and Dad don’t grow money on trees, they figure that they will need a job to afford all those extra luxuries.

I personally think that having a job as a teenager is a good thing. However, if they are going to work during the school year, the hours should be very limited, 10 to 15 at the most. Here are some points to think about:

  • Discuss the hours that your teen can work. Be realistic. If your teen is involved in sports or music, their time may be very limited.
  • Suggest the possibility of having your teen work only during the summer. This will give your teen plenty of time for school work and extra curricular activities during the school year.
  • Set up a budget for your teen. Tell them what you expect them to pay for out of the money they earn, what they should save, and what they should give to charity.
  • Teens who work long hours tend to also be involved in more risky activities. Keep in mind that school work should still be their number one focus.
  • If your teen absolutely hates school and does not plan to go on to college, try to get them to focus on a career plan after high school. Are they interested in construction or electronics? Maybe they could get a part time job as an apprentice.

Currently, my girls both get a budget for clothing and can earn extra money from doing “money chores.” Money chores are chores that are above and beyond the normal chores that they do as part of our family, such as filing paperwork, cleaning out the refrigerator or freezer and babysitting. If my teen were to get a job, we would adjust the clothing budget so that she would need to contribute to it as well. I good rule of thumb that I have found is: 40% savings, 10% charity and 50% spending money. Spending money can include such things as gas, movie tickets, clothing and eating out.

When your teen asks if he can get a job, be sure to sit down with him and devise a plan that will balance home, school and job.

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