By Colleen Gengler
University of Minnesota Extension

With school starting, one concern for parents is teen employment. Should their high school student continue working during the school year? Can the student manage that and other activities? Will it hurt grades?

For some families, youth employment may be a necessity, contributing income to the family budget or for saving toward future education.

Many teens hold jobs during the high school years. A job can have positive and negative consequences for teens. Working may increase responsibility, self-esteem, feelings of competence and independence. But sometimes first jobs can be routine and lead to negative interactions with adults. It is important to remember that teens are still developing physically, intellectually and emotionally.

On the positive side, youth who work limited hours are more likely to be employed after high school. They also have a better chance of earning higher wages after graduation. On the downside, teens who work more than 20 hours a week may experience some detrimental effects overshadowing the positives. Teens who work half time or more report higher levels of emotional distress, substance abuse and earlier sexual activity. Other adverse consequences of working long hours include: fatigue, sleep deprivation, less exercise and family time, poor school performance and problems with the law.

Parents clearly play a role in helping their teen with the employment decision. They can help the teen select a safe, appropriate place of employment. Teens benefit from participating in a variety of activities of which limited work can be one. Here are suggestions for parents:

Talk with your teen about why he/she wants to continue a summer job into the school year. Discuss how it will affect other things including family time and school or community activities. Help your teen think through what the job means for future goals.

Set standards for grades and chores at home that need to be maintained.

Talk about the work world. Will the summer employer respect the need for limited hours during the school year? Is there any flexibility in the job?

Work with your teen to set up a plan for income if that hasn't already been done. What should be saved and what can go for day-to-day wants and needs?

Check into state and federal child labor standards. Laws governing the time when students can work and how long during the school year differ from summer restrictions. A good source of information is found at www.doli.state.mn.us/.

As your teen works during the school year, monitor the work experience just as you would monitor other activities. Check in to see how things are going. Keep track of the number of work hours.

Continue to monitor how your student is doing in school. Although teen employment can contribute to development, it should never undermine a young person's education.

Comment from Austin, 9/14/07

Great Post! I linked to it on my site, myfirstpaycheck.com. Thanks!