I'm very surprised that children work during school year. Back at home we could barely keep up with homework. I did work few summers, but never during school year. I also don't know anybody who worked during school year.
Value of money? Some learned from their parents, some learned when they did get a job later on, but all learned it.
Haven't heard from anybody that they would be so much better off if they had worked in high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ceraintly teaches the value of a dollar better than a $40 keep.

That is, keep.

I hate autocorrect. Jeep.

I worked throughout high school. While I used most of the money on myself, it gave me some autonomy from my parents (I chose what I spent my money on, which also included gas and weekend activities.) I also learned how to manage a business, deal with people, accounting, etc. Good skills to know, really. My grades didn't suffer.

My oldest is the only one in our house old enough for a job and he's been working since he was 17. He initially had a hard time finding work. He's saving money for a car and for his post high school education. I find that he does think more about how he spends his money now that he earns it. Just this weekend we had a discussion about Christmas gift budget and he made his decisions based on how many hours it would take to earn the money. Also, he tends to do things like go ton Saturday morning movies rather than later ones because they are half price. When it was my money, he did not come to these conclusions quite so easily.

As fast as time management, my kids have had good time management skills since they were young so it's not an issue.

Ceraintly teaches the value of a dollar better than a $40 keep.

I hear re: college admission, a paying job is looked on more favorably than enrichment experiences rich parents pay for. However, for working, I'd rather it's done in the summer not school year.

My kids of high school age were (and will be, for the younger ones) permitted to get jobs during the school year if and only if they kept grades that were mostly A's with no more than one B. If grades slip for more than one quarter, the job goes.

So far both kids who are past that age have chosen to get part time jobs but not take on a ton of hours, and both graduated HS with 3.75+ GPAs unweighted. Our kids were in the somewhat privileged situation to not really need to work, and they did so mainly for the experience to put on a resume and for extra spending money. I think a job is a good experience for students if it makes sense for their situation, but I would not suggest that paid employment come at the expense of either grades or a particularly key extra-curricular experience unless the teen needs the income due to the family's financial situation.

Only during the Summer in our house. Their #1 job during the school year is school. Then we focus on activities (sports, clubs, volunteering). Their friends with jobs really do blow their money on food and clothes or video games and sneakers (if a boy).

The "jobs" they can have during the school year is babysitting (for DD) and DS does yard work/shoveling for elderly neighbor who pays him. DS (14) really wants to get a job when he turns 15 to work at the local movie theater with some friends. DH and I are considering it, but we've told him it would be Friday-Sunday only and your employer would have to understand that or not hire you. Might make DS wait another year as he's the one who really has to put a lot of studying and work in to make good grades. School comes easier for DD.

My parents had us work summers and do an activity/volunteer during the school year. If you need them to buy their own stuff, a job is fine but I agree with my parents that your job during the school year is school. They always took our summer money and put it away for college and gave us money instead. I think its good to work summers for your resume and life experiences (or internship).

Part-time jobs = less time studying, an excuse for grades to dip, and more money to party and blow on stupid shit.

Penny wise, pound foolish.

Anonymous wrote:My rule is they need something ... Sport, theater, lots of volunteering or a job.

Pretty much this.

But what you don't want is to have the kid get a job, then buy all sorts of "luxury" items while not paying for basic living expenses, then get a rude awakening later that low-wage jobs barely pay enough to survive. I would not be opposed to my kid having a job, but I would limit the number of hours during the school year and also require that he save some of the money.

My rule is they need something ... Sport, theater, lots of volunteering or a job.

I think it teaches time management.

Jobs teach showing up on time, dealing with bosses, dealing with customers, etc.

If the kid has access to whatever else they want in addition to the money they get from the job (and they can just blow the money on food and clothes), of course the job's not going to be super useful.

If they're also paying for car insurance, or helping pay for their cell phone bill, and having to save up for something they really want, then yes, they'll learn the value of a dollar.

Does it really make them learn the value of a dollar? How?

In my experience teen jobs are BS/fun and it's just money they blow on food and clothes.