Teenagers and Working

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  • May 20, 2024 at 9:06 am
    rhondajennings68
    Participant

    Fellow moms, I am looking for some advice.  My son is 16 years old.  He has applied for a couple of jobs for the summer.  In the past, he has done administrative work for me and worked as a dog walker.  He wants to just work for me this summer doing administrative work since he will also be doing some schoolwork over the summer in preparation for dual enrollment classes in the Fall.

    Is it better for him to work for someone else versus me? I am conflicted about this.  He will be a junior in the Fall so he only has two more years of school left, most of which will be dual enrollment.  He is my only child, but I am working to help him become more independent.

    Thanks!

    June 25, 2024 at 10:18 am
    Raines
    Participant

    Hi!  My oldest son is 17 and has been working for the past 3 years.  He has done all kinds of things as he just likes to stay busy.  He has mostly worked for our neighbors and friends doing yard work and odd jobs and taking care of animals.   For volunteer work, he has worked with a group of mission builders doing light construction, and he staffed at TeenPact Leadership Schools for a week earlier this year.  He had a job working 8 hours a week at a plant nursery this spring, and this summer he is on staff at a Christian camp (duties include food service and life guarding).

    Although he has helped in my husband’s office some, my son has really benefited from working for people away from our home.  He has learned time management and interpersonal relationship skills amongst other things.  Mostly his bosses have been godly men who have really been patient with him as he builds his skills in different areas.   He has also dealt with a neighbor who was hard to please and coworkers who didn’t pull their weight.

    I don’t think it is wrong for your son to work for you; in fact, I think it’s great when family members can work together.  But I do think so much can be learned from having varied work experiences too.  Perhaps one idea would be for him to work for you and then volunteer a few hours a week doing something different (different people, scenery, work, etc.).

     

     

    June 25, 2024 at 11:27 am
    rhondajennings68
    Participant

    Thank you so much for your response. It turned out that this summer, it has been better for him to work for me since he is doing a half-semester literature class in preparation for dual enrollment in the fall. He is also doing driver’s education so it’s a little bit easier for me to work with his schedule!

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