When did your kid start working?

[Anonymous]

15-16 Pizza Chain, Camp Counselor. Summers only. Subsequent employers always commented on the Pizza Chain. She had been the one answering the phones, taking the orders so it garnered respect. They understood the stress.

[Anonymous]

Mine started mowing lawns at 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine started mowing lawns at 10.

OP here, my kid has done a lot of those kinds of things for a long time. He likes money! To me, that’s different than a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine started mowing lawns at 10.

OP here, my kid has done a lot of those kinds of things for a long time. He likes money! To me, that’s different than a job.

Why? Both pay money and they are both work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine started mowing lawns at 10.

OP here, my kid has done a lot of those kinds of things for a long time. He likes money! To me, that’s different than a job.

Why? Both pay money and they are both work.

Well one is illegal at 10 for a reason.

[Anonymous]

My son was a counselor-in-training at 15 as his first job.

[Anonymous]

I'd love for mine to work but they don't have time. They are 14. I'd say 15-16, when they don't have to do summer school or can do something flexible like work at the pool. Summers only. If he is with the uncle, why not?

[Anonymous]

I would not let him. He has his entire life to work. If he has that much free time that he could do a job then he needs to be involved in an extracurricular activity. The expectation at that age, for our family, is to get good grades, participate in extracurricular activities outside of the home and to spend time with family. My children worked their senior year of high school with a half day schedule.

[Anonymous]

Working with his uncle sounds like a good set up. If he wants to work, and can maintain his grades and social life, let him. Teach him how to save/spend his money and be responsible to his uncle/co-workers.

[Anonymous]

If the kid wants to, sure. Beware of safety issues.

If the kid has no interest, and you don't need the money, don't push it. Teens don't need jobs to get into college. Low-level jobs do not prepare for higher-level jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If the kid wants to, sure. Beware of safety issues.

If the kid has no interest, and you don't need the money, don't push it. Teens don't need jobs to get into college. Low-level jobs do not prepare for higher-level jobs.

Maybe not but they help kids get internships. My DH sits on the committee at his business who interview and hire interns. He said they rarely hire kids without any work history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If the kid wants to, sure. Beware of safety issues.

If the kid has no interest, and you don't need the money, don't push it. Teens don't need jobs to get into college. Low-level jobs do not prepare for higher-level jobs.

Maybe not but they help kids get internships. My DH sits on the committee at his business who interview and hire interns. He said they rarely hire kids without any work history.

Then he's missing out. In my wealthy neighborhood, the immense majority of the kids never work before going to college. They're busy volunteering and doing other extra-curriculars. Unless your husband also considers unpaid work to be a form of work. But for college applications, it's a different bucket.

[Anonymous]

What do wealthy kids do all summer? Vacations take 1-2 weeks. What about the other 10+ weeks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do wealthy kids do all summer? Vacations take 1-2 weeks. What about the other 10+ weeks?

Not just wealthy kids, but hang out with friends. They are kids after all, and pretty soon they won't any free summers left.

[Anonymous]

That’s a long time to hang around with friends. My kid worked FT and had nights/weekends to get together with his friends.