Hellobee Boards Topic: The job of kids growing up

Hellobee Boards Topic: The job of kids growing up https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:59:03 +0000 Synchronicity on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124590 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 17:44:05 +0000 Synchronicity 2124590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Doing well in school is top of the list, but helping around the house is also important and will absolutely be mandatory. I was also able to hold down a part time job through the last couple years of high school without it negatively impacting anything else, and I'll likely expect my kids to do the same, to learn about money management and responsibility. A job through university will be a must. Extra curricular activities.. I mean, that's going to depend on the kid. If they pick something up I will want them to follow through, but not at the expense of anything else. HLK208 on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124541 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 16:12:19 +0000 HLK208 2124541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My parents wanted me to get a job in high school to pay for gas and extras. Too much was expected out of me at my job though (they wanted me to be there before school 4am-7am and again 4pm-10pm). It negatively effected my school work...but I do feel like I grew up quickly. I won't let my kids work more than 15-20 hours a week during high school. If their grades suffer, they will have to quit. DH just wants them to focus on school and extra curricular activities. sarac on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124529 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 15:59:07 +0000 sarac 2124529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Chores, certainly. That'll probably be it, beyond a general sense of finding their own motivations and passions in life. Requiring my children to do well in school is not something I'll be doing. Both my husband and I were fairly moderate achieving academically, and we have gone on to really successful lives, both personally and career wise. If my kids want to pursue straight As and the Ivy League, I'll happily support that. But if they want to focus on other things, that's absolutely fine with me too. stiletto_mom on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124496 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 15:32:49 +0000 stiletto_mom 2124496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Ha. Growing up, our only job was to do well in school. With my kids, I would have selected "all of the above". ShootingStar on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124455 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 15:02:54 +0000 ShootingStar 2124455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Doing well in school will be the number one priority. I'd like it if he did extracurriculars too. He will also probably help out around the house and get an allowance. I think allowances are important for teaching the value of money. Further down on the list, he can get a job if he's interested, but I'd rather he do that over the summer than after school. The priority for the school year is school, not earning money. When I was kid I spent time at music camps, soccer camps, theater stuff, etc. I'd be happy to support his interests if they're something he loves. As someone else pointed out, he has his whole life to work. I feel like it's my job to instill a love of learning, get him a good education, and teach him about the value of money/budgeting. avivoca on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124360 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 13:43:05 +0000 avivoca 2124360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ The internet ate my post. Short version - I had summer jobs in college, not high school. We were responsible for a few chores and getting good grades. My summer job money went to pay for my books, school supplies, and anything fun I wanted to do. - I will expect my children to complete chores at home, do well in school/any activities they pursue, and hold a summer job once they are 15 or so. - H already has chores at 18 months, but they are geared toward her interests. She loves feeding the animals, so when it's time, it's her job to get the cat food out, I scoop the food and then she pours the food into the bowls, she then brings me her bowl to put on the table, and she puts the food up. She does the same thing for the dog. She also helps me unload the dishwasher. Adira on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124332 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 13:28:01 +0000 Adira 2124332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I expect my kids to do well in school first and foremost, and then do chores around the house. When they are old enough to drive and get a job, then they will need to work for their own fun stuff, but I will still continue to provide them the basics! And they'll need to get loans and scholarships (or work) to help pay for college. Jess1483 on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124321 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 13:21:57 +0000 Jess1483 2124321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I expect my children to do well in school and in some combination of work/extracurriculars. If they have a ton of school and other activities going on, I wouldn't expect then to work, but they also can't be sitting around the house. If they aren't doing sports or other things, then they have to pay for their fun stuff themselves. If they are, we would supplement. I don't expect them to put themselves through school, but would expect them to cover everything but tuition, room, and board. And yes, doing chores is definitely required. youboots on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124254 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:37:57 +0000 youboots 2124254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I started working when I was 13, but it was at my families hotel & restaurant. I always worked there and also had other jobs in retail, summer camps, etc. In college I always worked 10-15 hours a week again in retail, for a year as a nanny, etc. However I was not a student athlete- I think if my daughter excels at an extracurricular then that is her job, but I would still expect her the bank volunteer hours. I think having a high school then college diploma does not always cut it. I perceive that employers want to hire college grads with some kind of work experience even if it is just volunteering. I learned so many life skills... How to be on time, be accountable, to take constructive criticism etc. I think working made me a better employee out of college, and I got a great job with a top company right out of school- and the transition felt really seamless. Chores are a life skill- you need to know how to cook basic food and do laundry IMO. ILoveLettie on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124234 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:26:08 +0000 ILoveLettie 2124234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was expected to focus on school and had age appropriate chores starting very young. Chores and homework were expected to be done before anything else. My parents encouraged us not to get summer jobs because they said we had our whole lives to work. Summers were spent doing the summer reading program, summer theater, camps and mission trips. I really appreciate this looking back and hope to raise my daughter the same way. Summers during college I will encourage her to work as well as encouraging a part time job after her first year of college, though I will still emphasize school as her first priority. hilsy85 on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124226 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:22:41 +0000 hilsy85 2124226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think summers, once LO is a teenager (14, 15 or so), he should find work for at least part of the summer. During the school year I would only expect him to do well in school and activities, and help around the house. If he wants to do some extra small jobs, like babysitting or mowing lawns or whatever, that's fine, but nothing that would make it difficult for him to get schoolwork done. lawbee11 on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124221 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:17:25 +0000 lawbee11 2124221@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Doing well in school is our #1 priority. I wasn't expected to do chores growing up but that's not how it will be in our house. I am a fan of age-appropriate chores and charts. Nothing ridiculous, but simple things like keeping her room clean, rinsing off dishes and putting them in the dishwasher, taking out the trash, etc. I will not expect LO to work during high school, but will encourage her to get a job over the summer of her last year or two. I will expect her to apply for any scholarships she's eligible for, but as far as paying her tuition I do not expect her to do that. DH and I are hoping to cover tuition and other school fees, but we'll encourage her to work to make money for her personal expenses. I did work-study and it was an easy way to make connections and earn money. catlady on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124208 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:09:58 +0000 catlady 2124208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Before high school, just school, extracurriculars (within reason), and chores. Once they reach high school, I think summer jobs are appropriate but not necessarily during the school year (kids have too much pressure on them already these days). By college, I expect them to work part-time during the school year and full-time over the summer (that's what I did). mrswin on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124203 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 12:05:55 +0000 mrswin 2124203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Their first job will be to do well in school. After that I am a big believer in extra curricular activities at least one season of the year. Like pps have said they don't need to be the best but if they want to participate then they are expected to practice/participate fully. I had a job starting at about 15, just baby sitting before that and I would expect that my children will have the same. It was 12-16 hrs per week in retail and gave me good balance and helped me to learn time management. But of course there are always exceptions.. my brother never worked in high school because he went to private school where they were required to do one extracurricular per term, plus participate in cadets so he often wouldn't be home until 7pm in the evening. Chores/household participation are a given. My mom taught me to make my bed at 3 :happy: Mrs. Coral on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124196 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:58:46 +0000 Mrs. Coral 2124196@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My kids will have age appropriate chores as soon as they are able. They will begin working a summer job or evening/weekend babysitting jobs around 13-15. The $$$ earned will go toward purchases DH and I find frivolous...designer jeans, etc. We will cover all household expenses as well as clothing, any fees/materials for school and extracurriculars, birthday presents for friends, etc. They will be expected to contribute somewhat to tuition simply to earn an appreciation and to be motivated to work hard. They will also e expected to seek out scholarships. There will be no allowance and there will be no expectation to hold a job during the school year ETA: There will be a savings requirement of some sort...X% of each paycheck must go into savings. littlebug on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124185 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:52:15 +0000 littlebug 2124185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ As a young kid, I did chores around the house to earn an allowance. When I got my driver's license, I got a job outside the house, but that was because I wanted to - I wanted to have my own money for shopping and doing things with my friends. In college, I had summer jobs, and I was expected to save that money to use as spending money during the school year. In grad school, my income went to my rent and spending money (I had loans for tuition). Above all, though, the expectation was that I did well in school. My parents did not care if I did well in extracurriculars. Of course they wanted to see me do well and succeed, but it wasn't like they were pushing me all the time to "be the best" in my activity of choice (dance, cheering, piano, and synchronized swimming). School came before anything. Chillybear on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124183 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:51:21 +0000 Chillybear 2124183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ More than anything i think it was my parents goal to fill my day as much as possible so i wouldnt get into trouble. Academics always came first, 2nd to that was what ever i made a commitment to do (whether it was to an activity, or a boss). My employment began the summer after 8th grade. i was too old to attend the daycamp ran through the elementary and middle schools. So my mom got me in as a volunteer Counselor in Training. It was 3+ hours a day, 5 days a week for 5 weeks. my mom ended up paying me something like $100/week to do it. I worked there every summer for like 6 years into freshman year of college. I ended up heading the arts & crafts room and doing the after camp care. When I was a sophomore in HS I started doing the after school care through the same school organization. That was 3 hours a day 5 days a week, except school holidays. As a senior i got a job in retail. In college i worked like 2-3 jobs at time. I always did work study through the college, I worked at a pizza shop at night and on weekends, and once I worked my co-op, I stayed on part-time and would arrange my schedule so i could do a full 8 hour day each week there. Most of the money I earned was either saved, used for my own expenses, or put toward materials for college classes (fabrics, trims, art supplies, printing) ETA: In HS, the job at the daycamp and after school care was a 10 minute walk from my house. littleblessings on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124151 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:37:49 +0000 littleblessings 2124151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ They should at least do well in school and clean up after themselves at home. I'll pay for them to go out with friends sometimes but if they want to go out excessively or they want the next new electronic they will need to find a way to get the money to get it. Even if its doing extra chores for an allowance. I firmly believe you have to start teaching money management when kids are young. looch on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124143 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:32:59 +0000 looch 2124143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I had a job in high school, but it was seasonal, I worked at a local pool as a lifeguard. During the school year, though, I didn't have a job and my parents preferred it that way. Now, my childhood wasn't luxurious or anything, but we all had the basics. I saved the money I earned in the summer, I eventually lost it in some poorly chosen stocks I bought while interning at a brokerage house. PurplePeony on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124130 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:18:26 +0000 PurplePeony 2124130@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was expected to do well in school, first and foremost. Second to academics was extracurriculars -- I didn't have to excel but if I chose to take one on, I was expected to follow through with it (i.e. practice my instrument, attend sports practices and not quit the team halfway through the season, etc). I also had to help with household chores but didn't have specific assigned tasks -- it was more like "we're going to clean the house this morning so you can dust or vacuum, you pick." Oh, and I was supposed to keep my own room reasonably clean. Once I was in high school, I worked during the summers and if I had extra time during the school year (the season I didn't play a sport), but it wasn't an expectation. During college I worked a few hours a week during the semester and full-time during summer and winter breaks to have spending money for things other than essentials, which I guess was expected but my parents never really said to, I just did it. This is what we intend to have our kids do, as well. blackbird on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124129 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:16:47 +0000 blackbird 2124129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Do well in school, participate in extra curriculars, do chores. That's the baseline. I'm iffy about working in high school and college. It really depends on what's going on--it wasn't feasible for me to work during my school year because I played 3 sports. I was so busy, there was no time for work, so that was acceptable in my house. And my mom probably didn't want to drive me all over the place to work, too. So yeah, at 14, my kids probably won't have a job because *I* don't have the time to cart them around. In college, my load was so much more demanding than other majors, but i worked during the summer. So....I think earning a little extra money is good (because I certainly will not pay for everything they want), but I realize it's not always feasible to have a 'job' on top of everything else they may be doing, so I am not going to demand it if their courseload is high and demanding. I want my kids to be kids, though. They'll work plenty throughout their life. I don't believe they should pay for household expenses. DH and I chose to have them, so we are responsible for them. They will be responsible for part of their own tuition. We simply cannot and will be unable to cover it all for all of our kids. But i'm not sure what the higher ed landscape will look like in 16 years HabesBabe on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124128 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:13:57 +0000 HabesBabe 2124128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My kids' #1 "job" will be to do well in school. They also will need to contribute to the overall functionality of the household by doing chores (that they will not get paid for), like taking out the trash, loading/dumping dishwasher, taking care of the dogs, occasional deep cleaning, laundry when they are a little older, etc. They'll get clothes, extracurriculars paid for, etc. But anything over-the-top, they can get a job for and earn extra money (like... I guess I'll pay for prom attire and flowers but if s/he wants to pitch in for a limo with friends, they can pay for it themselves? weird example, but the first thing that came to my mind). But if their school performance starts to decline, I'll cut out any jobs and extracurriculars until they can get back on track. coopsmama on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124126 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:11:52 +0000 coopsmama 2124126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I want my kids to work hard at school, participate in keeping our home clean and running well, and (when they get to HS) find ways to earn extra money to pay for their own fun expenses. We'll always take care of their clothes and food and other necessities, but it they want something that is explicitly for fun they'll have to find a way to earn it. I wouldn't be opposed to paying them myself if they were to go above and beyond their basic house hold chores. Oh, and I will expect them to do their best in extracurriculars that they show interest like music lessons. If they don't put forth an effort the activity will go away. T.H.O.U. on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124122 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:09:45 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2124122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'm glad I worked in school but it was always a very limited number of hours (4hrs per week or so). But it gave me GREAT experience. I love the idea of asking kids to start their own online business as a "job" even if they don't have time to work outside the home. Maybe an etsy shop or something! Torchwood on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124120 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:08:59 +0000 Torchwood 2124120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DH is strongly of the opinion that kids should have to do quite a bit of work, particularly to help pay for their own college. He started working at 13, had a hardship license at 14, and worked multiple jobs during college. His dad is a total workaholic (in a very bad way), and instilled the idea in him that you HAVE to work a ton pretty much to have value. I do think our kid(s) should work some, but I don't want them to have the same sort of mindset he did. It's going to be interesting finding some balance there. mrbee on "The job of kids growing up" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-job-of-kids-growing-up#post-2124114 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:03:46 +0000 mrbee 2124114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Growing up, I was expected to do well in school and also contribute to the household. I did chores and had a paper route in K-12, and worked in college to help pay for tuition. I have some friends whose sole job was to do well in school - both K-12 and also in college. They didn't have chores, and weren't expected to work in HS or college. At the time I was so jealous, but now I'm grateful I was expected to do that extra stuff! Was wondering how everyone saw as the job of kids while growing up... here's a quick poll: