Helping your teenager balance schoolwork and a part-time job
Over four million teenagers in the U.S. and Canada have part-time jobs—babysitting, doing yard work, working in a supermarket, restaurant, or a store. How does having a job affect school performance and achievement? Research shows that having a job can be good for teenagers—within limits. But working more than 15 or 20 hours a week usually interferes with a child’s achievement in school. Laurence Steinberg, a psychologist at Temple University, studied high school students who worked more than 20 hours a week and found that they missed more school, received lower grades, and cut more classes than their classmates who worked fewer hours. If possible, try to limit the number of hours your teenager works to no more than 15 or 20 hours a week during the school year.
Here are some other guidelines about teenagers and jobs:
• Try to limit job hours to afternoons and weekends, rather than weekday evenings during the school year.
• Keep an eye on your child’s school performance. If you see a decline in grades, help your child learn to manage all her responsibilities or
reduce the number of hours on the job.
• Make it clear that school is your teenager’s most important job. More and more jobs require more and more schooling and training. Doing well in school will open up important opportunities for your child. Helping your child to be successful in school is one of the most important gifts you can give your son or daughter.
|
