Anonymous wrote:Hi, I'm a teen and I just came across this site because my mom posts here, so I was hoping I could get some advice or thoughts from other moms about something.
I just turned 13 and this year I was hoping to try to look for a job that I could do a few hours after school some days, or at least on weekends. But my mom does not want me to have a job because she says she wants me to "be a kid". To her the only appropriate job is babysitting, but she says it's not safe for me to be at a stranger's house at night so only for family. But, obviously if you're babysitting for family you can't ask them to pay for that.
I was hoping I could get some ideas to talk to my mom about and maybe she would change her mind. A job is good for building responsibility and good habits, it will help me have a good resume for college or scholarships or even other jobs later, and it means I can start to save some money.
So my questions are:
1. Would you let your teenager get a job?
2. If not, what are some reasons you would be against it?
3. Do you think there are any good reasons I can give to my mom that will have her reconsider? Without it being disrespectful or talking back, because that is not a good idea, and starting some sort of argument won't work anyway.
Thank you for any comments!
Well, you have to be older to have a real (outside of babysitting, errands, etc.) job under the law. And any employer willing to illegally hire a 13 year old kid is not someone I would want my kid anywhere near. So your mother has a point in that babysitting, etc. are the only appropriate jobs for someone your age.
You are allowed to deliver papers at that age, but most papers nowadays are delivered when it is dark at 4 or 5 am, and by adults in cars. Pedestrian and bike safety are major issues in many neighborhoods around here, especially in the dark.
Can you do jobs similar to babysitting? Are you a straight A student who could tutor? Are you experienced with animals--can you walk dogs after school?
Can you volunteer? At the library shelving books, at the animal shelter walking dogs, etc.