Why do middle class parents make their kids hold jobs during the school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:right, because kids should be cuddled their entire lives so when is time to greet the world they have no ability to manage time or stress, no value of what it takes to earn a dollar, etc. I think the real question is why don't more parents require their kids to work ten hours a week?

+1

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/11/25/why-more-teenagers-and-college-students-need-to-work-while-in-school/?utm_term=.d3179d2fd49e

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's really good character building. It's empowering for them to have their own money and a life outside of home and school. It teaches them to juggle responsibilities. For boys they are going to be working the next 50 years to support a family, they need to get ready. Girls as well although obviously some will sah at some point but they need to know how to work and have that skill to fall back on to support themselves.

Work isn't a dirty word. It's good for people.

WTF?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's time is better spent fast tracking his way through high school. He is on track to finish a year early. So, he will enter university and the job force one year early.

So, yeah his time is better spent on school instead of making minimum wage.

I work at a university in and believe me, I see plenty of these kids. They don't cope well when they realize they are 20 years old and have to go out into the real world as adults and have no clue how to function outside the classroom. You think its good now but in 5 years you will see it differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's time is better spent fast tracking his way through high school. He is on track to finish a year early. So, he will enter university and the job force one year early.

So, yeah his time is better spent on school instead of making minimum wage.

Is that a good thing? So he can be out there on the grind for 46 years instead of 45? (give or take)

[Anonymous]

I lived in a small town and saved for a car...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's time is better spent fast tracking his way through high school. He is on track to finish a year early. So, he will enter university and the job force one year early.

So, yeah his time is better spent on school instead of making minimum wage.

I work at a university in and believe me, I see plenty of these kids. They don't cope well when they realize they are 20 years old and have to go out into the real world as adults and have no clue how to function outside the classroom. You think its good now but in 5 years you will see it differently.

+1

As a PP said, no employer is going to pay you to be smart. Or to study hard.

Grit, professionalism under tough circumstances, client service, organization, deference to authority, making judgment calls on the fly, understanding how long it takes to earn enough money for a movie ticket, being on time and ready to work, organizing your life around your work schedule. These are all important and relevant skills and experiences.

[Anonymous]

I didn't "make" my daughter work in high school, but she did. She wanted to work to buy things she wanted and have spending money. She babysat when she was younger. She worked as a hostess in a restaurant during her jr and sr year, her first "real" job. Wow she learned so much! She learned a lot about budgeting, money, and taxes! She overdrew her first bank account twice until she finally understood how pending charges worked. She learned what a 401k was. She learned there was no way in hell she could support herself on a minimum wage job (watching those around her struggle) and it gave her a real world understanding of why college is so important for her. She learned responsibility (having to work if she was scheduled, even if there were other fun things that came up that she'd rather do). She learned how to talk to a boss, handle a performance review-ask for a raise!
That job seemed small but it taught her so much.
Ps- she also was a very good student and is now thriving in college).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's time is better spent fast tracking his way through high school. He is on track to finish a year early. So, he will enter university and the job force one year early.

So, yeah his time is better spent on school instead of making minimum wage.

Is that a good thing? So he can be out there on the grind for 46 years instead of 45? (give or take)

He just retire a year ahead of time. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's time is better spent fast tracking his way through high school. He is on track to finish a year early. So, he will enter university and the job force one year early.

So, yeah his time is better spent on school instead of making minimum wage.

Is that a good thing? So he can be out there on the grind for 46 years instead of 45? (give or take)

He just retire a year ahead of time. Duh.

Who knows? Retirement isn't a set age. Have fun while you're young. Work can wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's time is better spent fast tracking his way through high school. He is on track to finish a year early. So, he will enter university and the job force one year early.

So, yeah his time is better spent on school instead of making minimum wage.

Is that a good thing? So he can be out there on the grind for 46 years instead of 45? (give or take)

He just retire a year ahead of time. Duh.

Who knows? Retirement isn't a set age. Have fun while you're young. Work can wait.

Some people have fun while working FT.
It's not one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How could this possibly be self-defeating in the big picture of life?

Grades, extracurriculars, community engagement are more important. Only so many hours in a day. It seems middle class parents are old school and think a job toughens their kid up -- meanwhile UMC parents have their kids learning calculus and computer programming, you know, real skills.

You are a troll.

REAL life skills does not include calculus my friend. Long gone are shop classes, finance classes, home economics etc... and the new groups of teens are a coddled group that lack people skills and common sense. All they know how to do is look at screens. To study and socialize. When I grew up as "middle class", I worked in the mall as a teen, as did everyone of my friends. It was awesome. I learned to run cash registers, close out, people skills, time management, financial independence, and socialized with friends during and after work. I wouldn't trade that time in for the world. All teens do know is homework and use social media in their bedroom. Sorry but it sucks to be a teen these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son's time is better spent fast tracking his way through high school. He is on track to finish a year early. So, he will enter university and the job force one year early.

So, yeah his time is better spent on school instead of making minimum wage.

Is that a good thing? So he can be out there on the grind for 46 years instead of 45? (give or take)

He just retire a year ahead of time. Duh.

Who knows? Retirement isn't a set age. Have fun while you're young. Work can wait.

Who says fun and work are mutually exclusive? I feel bad for your kids if that's the attitude you're imparting. I have some very, very fond memories of working at a pizza parlor in HS/summers when I was home from college. Made lots of friends, got to know people outside of the AP bubble I otherwise inhabited, and made money while doing it. What's not to like? Not to mention, I worked like 5-10 hours a week. Usually one 2-4 hour weeknight shift, and one 4-6 hour weekend shift. The phrase "special snowflake" generally is not in my lexicon...but if that really is "the grind" for your kid, then I'm going to go ahead and use it.

(Of course, if my kid couldn't handle school work and a job, one of those would have to go...and it would be the job. But by itself, I really don't understand why some people have such an aversion to kids working.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in an affluent area, though my parents weren't nearly as wealthy as most of my classmates. (Chicago suburb.)

Probably the wealthiest boy in my class had a job bagging groceries at the local mom and pop grocery store. His father was a big time exec and my house could have fit inside of his house ten times. His parents were filthy rich. But SO kind. And he bagged groceries.

Gross. In Chicago, those are union jobs. I can't even imagine allowing or suggesting my child join a union.

You know nothing about unions. A bagger at a mom and pop grocery store is not in a union.

[Anonymous]

So my 7 figure HHI physician parents never forced me to have a job, but like my sister I opted to have summer jobs starting in middle school. I played sports and did several extra-curriculars, so have a job during the school year would have been impossible unless I gave up something else.

For everyone saying how great jobs are, why isn's summer work experience enough to get the life lessons you are describing?

[Anonymous]

In our house, no one is forced to have a job. However, my children have certain wants - a car (plus the insurance, gas, and maintenance that comes with a car), a smart phone, money for activities with friends, etc. - and purchase those things, they must have money. Thus, a job.