Employment: When Is The Right Time?

June 9th, 2008 by Stu Mark · 9 Comments

My wife and I are having an open-ended, open-minded, gloves-off discussion about our son. Specifically, the debate is whether or not he is, at 16, old enough to get a job.

I won’t give away whose position is what. Instead, I’m going to implore you to weigh in. What’s the right age for employment? Does girl or boy matter? What about grades? What else? Please, I respectfully ask you to give me your unadulterated opinion on this. And, for extra bonus points, ask other people around you.

No, there is no prize. Yes, I wish there was.

by Stu Mark

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9 responses so far ↓

Whitney // Jun 9, 2008 at 6:38 am

I would say summer job- You bet. Important learning tool about responsibility and money. During the school year? No way. School is enough to concentrate on; maybe weekends or babysitting, but not after school.

That’s my gut feeling.

Whit
Daleus // Jun 9, 2008 at 7:06 am

Last summer, my 15 year old nephew bumped into a 16 yr old friend working a cash register. He decided he had to get a summer job.

However, without any expereince and not being 16, he had no luck. Instead, he came and cut grass and helped out with yard work and other odd jobs for the summer.

This year he’s determined to get a (better paying) summer job. If he does, then the grass cutting, and odd jobs will fall over to his 13 year old sister.

For my own part, I started working every summer as soon as I hit highschool at age 14. It was good to get some money, meet interesting and frightening new people and get out from under the parental thumb.
InTheFastLane // Jun 9, 2008 at 7:18 am

My parents did not want me working. They always felt that my job was school and besides that I was always busy with sports and such as well. But, I would think it would depend on the job and the number of hours and whether it would eat into homework time…Boy/girl I don’t think matters as much as the other things.
Carl // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:02 am

In general, the earlier they learn how to balance gainful employment with other activities, the better off they’ll turn out.
Of course, during the school year, their gainful employ is their education.
To me, it’s not about age, or even time of year. It’s ALL about idle time. If there is time available to spend playing video games and general idleness, that time would be better spent working. If the child in question (boy or girl) has a full schedule of school, sports, friends, and out-of-the-house activities, then a job would have to sacrifice one of those things.
Lori // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:50 am

Absolutely!!! Perfect time as a matter of fact. My 14 year old girl will have a part time (9-noon) camp counselor job this coming summer. Responsibility, job skills, social skills, learning to budget – all wonderful ways to strengthen their foundation for leaving the house as a freshman in college. Have fun debating!
Cecily T // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:09 am

Yes, I think 16 is plenty old enough for a job. It depends on where you live whether he can get himself to and from if he can get a driver’s license, and with the price of gas, I’d definitely have a talk about whether it’s worth it budget-wise or if he’s better off doing odd jobs around your neighborhood.

What’s his primary motivation? Needs something to do out of the house? Wants $$? I think that will factor into whether he gets the kind of job that he can keep once school rolls around again in the fall.
Megin Hatch // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:10 am

To some extent I think summer is a time for long days on the beach or in the woods or on the basketball court.

That said, I think a part time gig is a good thing for some kids in the summer. Balanced out with sports and fun. Avoiding boredom at 16 is decidedly a good thing.

In large part I think it depends on the kid.
Stu Mark // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:49 am

To all of you, THANK YOU!!!

Your perspectives, while all different, are incredibly useful to my wife and I. We’re different, in that she’d like to rest her babies on silk pillows, whereas I’d like to toughen them by dipping them in fire. So these debates that we have are good, because they help us to find a middle ground. And that, in my opinion, is what good parenting is all about.
Cheryl in Sacramento // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:44 am

At sixteen it seems like a good jumping off point especially if a teen is looking to have driving privileges. I remember my first few jobs in the business field that gave experience and required me to grow, slowly, into a responsible adult. They were little jobs like working at the school doing vacuuming and at my father’s work where they gave me the job of breaking down binders. After school jobs could go through the year but more involved jobs are better left to the summer or a senior year if there are fewer classes taken. Summer camp jobs are definitely fun for the teen who can stand younger children.