Tell Your Teen: Flip Those Burgers

Your teen asks for $20 to go to the movies, and you hand it over without question. She’s a good kid, keeps her grades up, stays out of trouble — and it’s not a hardship for you. Besides, you worked as a teen — on top of school and sports — and missed time with your friends.

But are you doing her any favors?

The news abounds with stories of spoiled, entitled kids. Ethan Couch, the drunk driving teen who used “affluenza” as a defense, is one such tale.

And fewer kids are working. From 1990 to 2012, the number of teens with part-time jobs dropped from 32 percent to 16 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Some of this can be explained by the economy; but many teens today forego working for sports and other extracurricular activities.

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Yet parenting experts Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D., authors of “Parenting Teens With Love & Logic,” point out that a part-time job is a great experience. “Many teens learn valuable lessons about life and responsibility by working, not to mention reaping the monetary rewards of their labors.”

If they don’t need the money, what can they learn?

• Self-confidence. Much can be gained from applying and interviewing for a job, let alone landing it. Teens learn to speak to adults in a formal setting, dress for an interview, answer interview questions and complete paperwork — all necessary life skills. Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D., especially urges parents of teen boys with low self-esteem to encourage their sons to find a part-time job for a boost to their self-confidence.

• Financial savvy. Unless they have an unlimited trust fund or you will bail them out of every financial snafu, your teen needs to understand how to earn and budget a paycheck. Can they afford this outfit and pay the rent? Is that sweater worth $50? They should open a checking account to learn banking, bill-paying, and credit basics. And saving is a priority – Carrie Schwab-Pomerants, president of the Charles Schwab Foundation, suggests kids make it an actual item in their budget to develop good saving habits.

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• Independence. Your teen can make her own decisions (within family guidelines) about clothing, entertainment or technology purchases. Not only does she decide how to spend her hard-earned cash, but she learns the value of that money. Should she spend now, or save up for a car or school trip? Remember the long-term goal: independent, responsible adults.

• Educational Perks. Your teen may think she’s just stockpiling money for her weekend with friends, but she’s also learning valuable people skills on the job — teamwork, following directions from a supervisor, dealing with the public and even managing difficult people (a requirement to survive adulthood, right?). Additionally, she can learn how to use new machines, tools or technology, which benefits her adult resume. Life balance and time-management are necessary adult skills — how does she study for history and work her shift? And don’t forget taxes. Beth Kobliner, author and journalist, points out that teens learn the painful truth with that first paycheck — “the IRS takes a hefty slice of it?” Your teen must learn how taxes benefit communities and the country, as well as why they must be filed and paid on time.

• Connections. Your teen swears she’ll never work in fast food again, but the connections she makes — with management, mentors, customers or even peers — may land her an internship or better job down the road.

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A study from Drexel University’s Center for Labor Markets and Policy shows that teens with part-time jobs also have a better chance at career success as adults. Paul Harrington, an economist and the study’s lead author, says that work experience for those ages 16 to 19 corresponded to a 20-to-25 percent increase in salary for these same teens later.

Yes, flipping burgers improves her chances of a better paycheck later.

Wealth management consultant Susan Bruno, directing manager of Beacon Wealth Consulting, LLC, believes affluent teens need the motivation of a job to get ahead in life.

“When you ‘privilege’ a child, you are completely killing their spirit. I’ve had clients who said, ‘I didn’t live up to my full potential because I didn’t have to.’”

Ugh. Who wants to be that parent?

So before your daughter asks for movie money again, hand her a job application and help her fill it out. You’ll also be moving her toward a successful adulthood — a paycheck at a time.

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