Teenager, Working and Sports

It is much like life, you can really only choose 2 out of 3 things to do well.

Mom:
1. Be the ultimate mom (PTA prez. And volunteering at school all the time is included in this.)
2. Have a good marriage
3. Work full time.

In collage
1. Sleep
2. Keep good grades and money flowing
3. Party!!!!

You can't do all 3 and notnhave one or both of the other 2 suffer. So you say something like, you know, I know xxxxx is having a bash tonight but I have a test tomorrow and need to study and sleep, or you say, you know, I need to help with cash, and they keep rejecting me as the PTA meetings...

It would have been impossible for my son to have a job while he was running track. School ended at 3, track practice ended at 5:30. By the time he got home, showered and ate dinner it was close to 7:30. Only enough time for homework and maybe an hour or so to relax.
He did work a full time job as a (paid) camp counselor during the summer for two years, and he occasionally babysat for family friends so he earned spending money that way.
We are lucky enough to have three cars so we were happy to pay gas/insurance for him to drive himself to and from school and activities.
Of course my son was a real homebody, and usually had friends over here, so we didn't have too many issues of him going out and asking for money. My daughter's about to turn sixteen and ALWAYS going out so it will probably be different with her, especially since she's not playing volleyball any more. I think that girl WILL be getting an after school job!

My husband and I told our boy that their job during the school year was school first sports second. They both mowed lawns during the summer and made enough for spending money during the school year. They didn't spend much due to lack of time. We paid for gas and insurance for their vehicle as long as they were in school.

My stepkids have always had 1 activity and the option to have a job. In good weather, they might mow lawns. They also got/get an allowance so that if they didn't work, they had a little money. However, if they wanted to drive, have their own car, buy expensive things...something had to give. My SS chose not to do a sport 2nd semester senior year and just worked. He was limited to 15 hours a week (by us) because he needed to work on his AP classes, too.

In our family, our daughter's "job" is her school and maintaining her honor status. She is Junior, does well in her AP and honors courses plus she is a cheerleader. The cheer takes up A LOT of her time. SHe leaves by 7:20 each morning to get to school, she does not get home until 5 or after. She tends to do homework during lunch.

Cheer practices are during her school hours for credit which are 2:30-4:30 and then they stay after a lot. Next week they begin training for their competition in early Feb and that will be another day on the road and gone longer.

WHEN she has the time, she babysits. She is the first call for about 4 families and she gets about $12-$15/hour cash so that helps her out quite a bit.

We kick in to make sure her gas tank is full, and when she and bf go out, they sometimes go dutch or he pays. He works 2 jobs and is a Senior.

We gave our daughter money for going out.. which she did not do very often. I would guess at the most it came out to $20. per week. She took her lunch every day. We purchased her school supplies. her yearbooks.. etc..

We had a Garage sale 2 times a year, so she sold clothing, toys/games, books etc..

She was also in AP classes she did a tremendous amount of Volunteering (won the Presidential Volunteer award for 7 years). And she did Crew for 6 years. This was 5 days a week and competitions on Sat.

So she tended to work during the summer. Baby sitting, Pet sitting and House sitting. She was always good at saving.

During the school year she still did the sitting during the holidays.
I also do special events so we paid her to work on the days of the events setting up. At Christmas time, sometimes she also helped me prep ornaments and lights.

It is really hard for teens to find jobs now a days. They have so much going on with school, sports and extracurricular activities..

Speaking for our family, we told our kids that their 'job' was to be the best student possible. Our son is now out of the house, but our daughter is a junior and taking a pretty heavy academic load. *They went to a private, college-prep school, so school comes first.
We gave them a monthly 'allowance' per se that had to cover everything; gas, movies, etc. Our son always seemed to have more month than money, but our daughter somehow manages to have money left over. They both would pick up odd jobs here and there if and when their schedule permitted. But nothing on a regular schedule.

grades come 1st....we're in an A+ school district. If his grades stay up, then the 1st 2 years of college will be covered. #1 priority as far as I'm concerned!

When is there time?
Mine also has to have 140 hours of volunteer work.
Plus she is on two swim teams.
And takes 4 AP classes.
I do not give her any money, she has saved it from when she babysat, or Grandma gives generously at birthdays and holidays. But she doesn't have time to blow it on going out.

My oldest got a job his senior year. He was not in any sports and had the last period off to go to his job after school. He worked at a pizza joint. He took no AP classes that year, just the required "get me outta here" courses.

In same boat as you...my daughter gets straight As, plays three sports for school, plays club soccer all year, and township softball. Volunteers for community service whenever she can. A job comes last. Over the summer she did babysit one day a week. Even that was hard because she had sports 3-4 nights a week. She has started to ref soccer games but even that is hard, she's been able to do 1 between the rain and the days she can't do it! The way I see it is that they have a lot of years to work. It's our job to help them out with money now, as long as the grades are up.

My DD is almost 16 and has been working since June. In the summer it is fine and dandy because there aren't usually any conflicts (other than family outtings which we would try hard to plan enough in advance so she could get off). During the school year, it has been a different story. She isn't in sports but she is in band which around here is pretty intensive too. She doesn't have the nightly pratices like a sport, but she does have 1 night that she has practice for now. We have tried to work with her bosses, and with her to find 2-3 nights during the week that she CAN work and the bosses have been really good about working with us and only scheduling her on those days. She works at Burger King and is only working Mon, Thursday or Sat evenings. This has been working really well for us. True she isn't going to earn a lot, but hopefully when summer rolls around again she will have a job right from the start and not have to go searching for one. I hope that you find the right arrangement for you....that is what I think that we have done.
J.--SAHM of 7

I honestly feel that their job is to get an education and not work. Although I know it is very beneficial for kids to work and earn money for college I really think they can't do it all. They are in classes nearly 9 hours per day, if they do extra stuff like band, choir, sports, cheer-leading, all sorts of things then they are already working full time plus some overtime just on school.

When I was in the Young Women's program at church as a Stake leader so many of the local leaders would come to the meetings and talk about how they had no young women coming on Wednesday evenings anymore. They had school, and then any activities they did through school, and then homework. Some of them had 4-6 hours of homework each and every day. I just don't think God or anything else should be put on hold so a youth can go get a job.

I think they should have an allowance and be able to earn money at home by doing extra stuff. If you run out of things and they have time then they can do work like things, perhaps like cutting the neighbors yard or babysitting. They can do these things but are not committing to a time card.

My kids have always had jobs. They were responsible for telling the employer when they needed off for sports. As it was there were good workers so they never had trouble getting their employers to work around their schedules.

There was a question last week about a 15 year old having a girlfriend and how to pay. I mentioned that to my now 21 daughter, she laughed about a 15 year old having a girlfriend because she is still young enough to know that in itself is silly. I asked her did it ever cross your mind to ask for money and claim you couldn't work to keep up your grades, she said as if! I think she is rather proud she paid for the extra things she wanted to do and got good grades.

My advice, think about how much time they spend watching MTV and then ask yourself do you think they have time to work? My daughter still watched too much MTV. :( She did graduate with a 3.9 mind you. :)