| Most teens realize at a fairly young age the old adage | | | | work longer hours than those in a typical school day. |
| that "money equals power." Money equals designer | | | | And the right job may provide networking possibilities |
| clothes, a car and insurance, and in many cases, a | | | | and set your child on a rewarding lifetime career path. |
| certain amount of freedom. And in order to get money, | | | | But before your child gets a job, there are some things |
| many teens get part-time jobs. | | | | you should know. According to the Pennsylvania |
| While the benefits and/or drawbacks of teens and | | | | Department of Labor and Industry, "Minors under 14 |
| part-time jobs have been researched, studied and | | | | years of age may not be employed or permitted to |
| debated since at least 1979, the teens, jobs and | | | | work in any occupation, except children employed on |
| affects on schoolwork verdict is still out. According to | | | | farms or in domestic service in private homes." |
| the U.S. Department of Labor, 50 percent of American | | | | Children under the age of 14 can also work on farms, |
| teenagers hold informal jobs, such as babysitting or | | | | be golf caddies, newspaper carriers or juvenile |
| yard work, by age 12. And by age 15, nearly two-thirds | | | | performers in the entertainment industry. But special |
| of American teens have had some kind of | | | | permits may need to be required. |
| employment. And many researchers, including those on | | | | Also according to many state labor laws, teens aged |
| government panels like the National Commission on | | | | 14 and 15 are not permitted to work more than four |
| Youth praise part-time work and say it contributes to | | | | hours per day during the school year and not before 7 |
| the transition from youth to adulthood. | | | | a.m. or after 7 p.m. (During the summer, the amount of |
| Parents and educators alike have, for decades, said | | | | hours of work per day can be increased to eight.) |
| that part-time jobs teach children how to be | | | | Children under the age of 16 are prohibited, by |
| responsible and manage money. But Temple University | | | | Pennsylvania law, for example, from working in bowling |
| researcher Laurence Steinberg found that only 11 | | | | centers (unless as snack bar attendants, scorers or |
| percent of students report saving most of their money | | | | control desk clerks), building heavy work, highway |
| for college, and only three percent contribute to | | | | work, anywhere liquor is sold or dispensed, |
| household living expenses. "The bulk of teen's money | | | | manufacturing, on scaffolds or ladders and window |
| goes to clothing, cars, entertainment, and in some | | | | cleaning. |
| cases, drugs and alcohol," according to results of a | | | | For 16 and 17 year olds, the some state laws say, |
| study published in Harvard Education Letter in 1998. | | | | "minors are not to work before 6 a.m. or after midnight |
| Steinberg says, "Students who work longer hours | | | | on school days and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays." |
| report diminished engagement in schooling, lowered | | | | Also, not more than eight hours per day and 28 hours |
| school performance, increased psychological distress, | | | | per school week. (During the summer, the only |
| higher drug and alcohol use, higher rates of delinquency | | | | restrictions on 16 and 17 year olds, is that they can |
| and greater autonomy from parental control." A 1997 | | | | work no more than eight hours per day or 44 hours |
| study by David Stern, director of the National | | | | per week.) Young adults under the age of 18 are |
| Research Center for Vocational Education at the | | | | prohibited from working in billiard rooms; doing electrical |
| University of California, Berkeley, proves Steinberg's | | | | work; operating elevators; performing crane and |
| viewpoint. In research conducted over 20 years, | | | | hoisting operations; excavating; operating machinery |
| students who worked more than 15 hours per week | | | | that does woodworking, bakery mixing, cleaning, oiling |
| had lower grades, did less homework, had higher | | | | or punch pressing; roofing; welding; and doing demolition. |
| dropout rates and were less likely to go to college than | | | | Your teen securing a job is a big step on the road to |
| students who worked under 15 hours per week. | | | | maturity. Be sure to discuss the pros and the cons |
| But Jerald Bachman at the University of Michigan's | | | | with him or her. You may also want to agree to a job |
| Monitoring the Future Project, warns not to jump to | | | | on a trial basis, such as "you can work x number of |
| cause and effect conclusions. "I would argue that most | | | | hours a week this grading period and then we will |
| of the problems that correlate with working long hours | | | | decide if you can keep working, based on your |
| are more fundamentally caused," he says. "That may | | | | grades." Maintaining good grades, continuing extra |
| contribute the to spiral, but I think the spiral is well | | | | curricular activities and keeping a social life will be |
| underway at the time they elect to work the long | | | | important to your child's psychological health and |
| hours." | | | | development. Also, prepare a budget with your child, |
| Though the drawbacks to a busy, part-time job are | | | | setting limits on spending and enforcing a |
| many, so are the benefits. A teenager's job can teach | | | | percentage-of- paycheck-into-savings policy. Good |
| work skills that school does not, and it can instill in the | | | | money management skills, acquired when young, will |
| teen new confidence, sense of responsibility and | | | | last a lifetime. Part-time jobs can be a wonderful |
| independence. Earning money will enable your teen to | | | | experience, with the right supervision and parental |
| buy things and to manage money. An after-school job | | | | guidance. |
| can also provide adult supervision, especially if you | | | | |