Parenting Tip #7: Limit Hours for Working Teens
Monday January 21, 2008
It is important that parents talk to their teens and limit the hours and the number of days that he/she works. Research has shown that adolescents with long work hours(over 20 hours per week), show high levels of psychological distress including aggression, and low self-esteem. From personal experience, teens in my care have had much more success in obtaining the positives of working when they work 2 to 3 days a week as opposed to a job that is every day for two to three hours. While we want our teens to reap the benefits of having a part-time job, we really need to keep them from over doing it.
How many hours does your teen work? Are you enjoying the ease on your pocketbook? Have you seen your teen act more responsibly since he/she has started working? Share with us in the comments area.
Daughter just graduated high school last year and is now working about 20hrs a week as a restaurant hostess. Interesting article I picked up on this website today – that that should be the MAX. She is kind of edgy and I will try and slow it down somewhat – but yes! She’s responsible with the cash, saving for a car and pretty much enjoying it!
This is such great advice. My 17year old Senior daughter just started working and I’ve limited her work time to only 2 days during the school week and every other Saturday.
I feel it is really important that she spend her last year of school focusing on her studies AND her life as a Teenager preparing for the next step ahead.
I’ll admit that I love that she is working and she now pays for the small (but costly) items that she uses daily.