Wes: Summer is here, and kids are increasing their work hours and beginning to rake in some cash for cars, stereos and all the other joys of youth. There is some controversy as to whether so much work really distracts from other more important aspects of youth. We thought we’d discuss teen jobs this week. I’ll discuss the school year job schedule. Jenny will discuss summer work.

Half of all teens begin some sort of job around age 12. By graduation, 80 percent will have held part-time jobs at some point. The average high school student works about 20 hours per week, but 10 percent work almost full time. As we’ve discussed before, the point of adolescence is identity development, autonomy and achievement, along with developing social, emotional and financial independence from parents. Employment can help kids meet all these goals – or it can prevent them from doing so. Based on research, here is what teens can gain from work:

¢ Valuable experience that will help in getting future jobs

¢ Time management skills

¢ Good work habits

¢ Effective financial management

¢ Marketable skills that may transfer to future jobs

¢ Greater financial independence

All of these points are twice as valuable if a teenager is not planning to go to college or trade school right after graduation. In this case, adolescent work experience is essential if one is ever going to move out and get established. On the downside, excess focus on work can:

¢ Reduce time spent on homework, leading to lower grades.

¢ Cut productivity and quality in the classroom. Working students tend to cheat, copy the work of others and cut classes more than nonworkers to compensate for time spent not studying or getting enough rest.

¢ Decrease extracurricular school involvement.

¢ Reduce time with family and friends, degrading relationships that are crucial to normal development.

¢ Increase conflict with parents about who pays for daily expenses, educational costs, and sometimes even contributions to the family budget.

¢ Increase drugs and alcohol use, especially for teens working more than 20 hours per week. I know it seems odd, but that’s what the stats say.

¢ Create negative views of the world of work because many teen jobs are exploitative and unpleasant.

How much these negatives really affect kids depends on how they manage time and how much and when they work – the more hours, the worse the outcome. Parents can help working teens juggle school, social life and work by:

¢ Discussing the reasons for wanting a job and the responsibilities that go with it.

¢ Negotiating expectations for teen income before hiring. I recommend requiring some savings and allowing both entertainment and car and phone-related expenses to be taken over by the working teen. I do not recommend teens contribute to the family budget unless this is necessary for serious financial reasons.

¢ Create a daily or weekly schedule, laying out work and study time. You can relax a little if grades are flowing smoothly, but don’t do so too quickly.

¢ Protect the sleep routine. It is not a luxury.

¢ Set up regular family time. It’s OK to include teen friends.

¢ Teach practical ways to handle normal job stress. It will pay off over the lifetime.

¢ Most importantly, be supportive of your teen. Work should not be a privilege or punishment. It should be another learning opportunity. If grades drop, increase study time before decreasing work time. Then cut back hours rather than end the job.

Jenny: Summer traditionally is a time to spend with friends, away from the hassles of school. It is a time to lounge by the pool and waste the day away by going to bed late and sleeping late.

But a job provides a great outlet for teenagers to get away from the feeling that they are spending too much time in front of the television or playing video games, and do something meaningful by getting out and making some money. It’s a transitional stage where teenagers learn what it takes to have responsibility and a work schedule. It provides an opportunity to learn the real value of a dollar.

Since I started my summer job, I have been a lot more conscientious about my spending. Getting a job helps a lot of teenagers pay for things such as college, gas and movies so that parents don’t have to provide everything. I have talked to parents who complain more that their teenager is spending too much time around the house than spending too much time at work, and I know parents who urge their teen to get a job.

I can understand the concern that they need to spend time being a teenager and not be forced into the working world too soon, but in my experience, it has been beneficial to get out and work, at least during the summer.