Fewer Teens Working
An article in the Houston Chronicle points out that teens just aren’t getting J. O. B’s like they used to some five or ten years ago. According to this report, in 2006, 43.7 percent of teens nationwide between the ages of 16 and 19 were working or looking for work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s down from 52 percent in 2000.
The reasons cited vary. It said parents want to make it easier on kids and help them focus on school, homework and the extras that will look better on college applications.
Whatever happened to learning from life experiences? Personally, I think we are teaching our teens to be lazy and downright demanding little twits! In my day, teens matured much quicker when they had a part time job. In fact, I think a kid who is busy with more responsible tasks is far less likely to be getting busy with irresponsible acts.
What about you? Will you let your teen get a part time job while going to school? Did you let your teen work? What are your thoughts about teens in the work force in general?
Tags: teens, working, jobs, teen jobs, workforce, employment, minimum wage jobs, labor and statistics
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POSTED IN: Parenting
4 opinions for Fewer Teens Working
Kate
Dec 23, 2007 at 11:08 am
I think I’d like my kids to work a little, but not to the extent that they can buy lots of over-priced clothes, have an underage drinking habit or need lots of rides home at weird hours…oh, wait, that was my teenage job.
By the way, it’s time to open your present.
http://www.babylune.com/how-about-a-chick-that-peeps/
jessica
Jan 4, 2008 at 3:39 pm
When i was 16 (8 years ago) i had a job taking the trash out at a local drugstore, but the money wasn’t worth the stress it added to school, jazz band, high school orchestra, high school show choir, youth orchestra, and church youth choir. So i quit it, and it was nice being able to concentrate on the extras, which ended up getting me almost a full scholarship to a private university.
i hear what you mean, though. Most kids aren’t doing things that help them towards college, really. A lot of my friends all sat around smoking pot and are now living with their parents and working retail jobs just a few dollars above minimum wage. i was glad things worked out quite a bit better for me!
tabbi
Jan 16, 2008 at 10:14 pm
something to think about: when you let teens works, you let them freely interact with adults, probably. You wont be there, you wont know how they are impressioning your child. As a parent, you cant do backgrounds check on induvidual employers/employees. Well, maybe some parents are conected enough to do so…. but i never will be able to. Its not that I think teens taking on responsiblitiy/earning money is a bad thing…. but its scarey. Im speaking from personal experience. I worked at fast food places, retail, even martial arts, there is always the possibility of corruption. Note to parents, dont let teens work the late shift in fast food resturants, must i say why? I’m only 24, being a teen is still accuate in my memories. Yes, I had so many great times, but I think I would have been better off with more pressure on studies. To me it was always like “parents should trust me, but not my teenage brain.”
CanadianMom
Aug 2, 2008 at 10:52 am
I had my first job when I was 9. I was a door-to-door chocolate bar salesgirl.
A guy named Victor(no last name) came to my house to pick up my brother and I (my bro was 11 at the time)
Sounds shady, doesn’t it? Especially since we lived in Toronto.
The thing was, Victor dropped us off at the end of a street, I took one side, brother takes the other, and Victor waits at the end of the road. We had each other keeping an eye out, plus Victor at the end of the road. We worked for Victor for over a year, my brother and I, and never had one bad moment. Made PILES of money (for 9 and 11 yr olds anyway), and bought our own bonuses. A Super Nintendo, new bikes, trips to Canada’s Wonderland. I had a paper route at 11yrs old, and worked on a hay farm when I was 14.
I think my point is, if you don’t let them leave your sight, they won’t ever grow up. And that is our job as parents, to help them grow up, and teach them to be a good addition to society. If they are afraid to leave their mommies, then the mommies have failed.
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