The teenage years are when children embark upon the journey of becoming an adult. They seek maturity and independence in this journey. This independence that they seek comes in various forms. One of the forms would be economic. There will come a day when your teen would come to you and say, “I would like to work at the nearby mall.” As a parent, that moment would completely be dichotomous. You will feel proud of your child for their willingness to be independent, but you would also feel scared whether that would lead them down a wrong path. And your worries are completely justified. It is never possible for us to know which small decision can change our lives and in this case, our kids’. So, you need to look at a few parameters and ask yourself some hard questions before you can allow your child to get a job. Here are a few things that you should consider about your teen before you can allow them to work.
1. Maturity Of Your Child
It is very important that you allow your child to work when he or she is mature enough to understand the responsibility that comes with a job and the money involved. Also, it is important that you allow your child to work in a job that is appropriate for his or her age. There are many mothers who make sure that their children are old enough to work before they allow them. Also, it is very important to look at other aspects of the job before you allow your child. The working hours, the distance to be traveled and the work place environment need to be looked into before you can even consider to allow him or her. One of the members from Circle of Moms shared her experience. She said that she let her 14-year-old child get a part-time job at an elderly lady’s house. The job was only for 2 hours and she knew the lady from her church. She said that it was a wonderful experience for her child as his life was certainly enriched after that.
Another member from Circle of Moms emphasized that a meaningful part-time job can enrich a teenager’s life. It can teach teenagers about responsibility, money management and also people skills. So, it can be a great experience for a child, provided the job is age-appropriate.
2. Setting A Few Limitations
Certain limitations can be good for the well-being of your kid. Most of the mothers from Circle of Moms believe that the emphasis should be on school and school work. So, most mothers from the group agreed that they allow their children to get jobs which don’t hamper their school work. So, jobs which require daily presence for a fixed amount of time should be avoided. On the other hand, there are many jobs that require kids to participate only for a few hours for a few days in a week. Such jobs can be a good learning experience for teens. One of the members shared that she allowed her daughter to get a job only after she was 16 and not before that. Similarly, you can decide at what age it is suitable for your child to work.
3. The Value Of Money
This is a very important lesson that parents need to teach their kids. Teenagers must understand the value of money. So, a mother from the group suggested that if your kid is earning, make him or her pay for his or her essentials. This way they will learn that money comes with responsibility and it will allow them to not feel entitled about their parents’ money. Also, they will learn that money is not to be wasted. You can also encourage your child to save their money by introducing them to a saving scheme. This way they will learn to save their money.
Thus, when you have considered all the parameters, you can let your child work and let them be independent. They will learn a great deal from the experience.
