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Most teenagers recognize the old adage “money equals power” from a young age. Money means designer clothes, a car and insurance, and in many cases a degree of freedom. And to earn money, many young people take on part-time jobs.

While the pros and/or cons of teens and part-time jobs have been researched, studied, and debated since at least 1979, the jury is still out on teens, jobs, and the impact on schoolwork. According to the US Department of Labor, 50 percent of American teenagers by the age of 12 have informal jobs, such as babysitting or gardening. And by the age of 15, nearly two-thirds of American teenagers had some kind of employment. And many researchers, including those on government bodies like the National Commission on Youth, praise part-time work and say it helps transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Parents and educators have been saying for decades that part-time jobs teach kids how to be responsible and good with money. But Temple University researcher Laurence Steinberg found that just 11 percent of students say they save most of their money for college and just 3 percent contribute to household living expenses. “Most of teenage money goes on clothing, cars, entertainment, and in some cases drugs and alcohol,” according to a study published in the 1998 Harvard Education Letter.

Steinberg says, “Students who work longer hours report decreased school engagement, lower academic performance, increased psychological stress, higher drug and alcohol use, higher crime rates, and greater independence from parental control.” A study by David Stern, director of the National Research Center for Vocational Education at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1997 supports Steinberg’s point. In research conducted over 20 years, students who worked more than 15 hours a week had lower grades, did less homework, had higher dropout rates, and were less likely to attend college than students who worked less than 15 hours a week .

But Jerald Bachman of the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Project warns against jumping to hasty cause-and-effect conclusions. “I would argue that most of the problems associated with working long hours have more fundamental causes,” he says. “That may be contributing to the spiral, but I think the spiral is in full swing if they choose to work overtime.”

While the downsides of a busy part-time job are many, so are the benefits. A teen’s job can teach work skills that school doesn’t teach, and it can instill in the teen a renewed sense of confidence, responsibility, and independence. Earning money allows your teen to buy things and manage money. An extracurricular job may also provide adult supervision, especially if you work longer hours than a typical school day. And the right job can provide networking opportunities and set your child on a lifelong, rewarding career path.

But before your child gets a job, there are some things you should know. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, “Minors under the age of 14 shall not be employed or licensed in any occupation, except for children employed on farms or in household chores.” Children under 14 may also work on farms, golf caddies , newspaper carriers or young performers in the entertainment industry. However, special permits may be required.

Also, under many state labor laws, youth ages 14 and 15 are not allowed to work more than four hours a day during the school year, and not before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. (In the summer, the number of hours worked per day can be increased to eight. ) Children under the age of 16, for example, are prohibited under Pennsylvania law from working in bowling centers (other than as snack bar attendants, goal scorers, or desk clerks), building heavy construction, doing freeway work, wherever liquor is sold, or delivered, during manufacture, on scaffolding or ladders and when washing windows.

For 16- and 17-year-olds, some state laws state: “Minors may not work before 6 a.m. or after midnight on school days and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.” Also no more than eight hours per day and 28 hours per school week . (In the summer, the only restriction for 16- and 17-year-olds is that they can’t work more than eight hours a day or 44 hours a week.) Young adults under the age of 18 are prohibited from working in billiard rooms; do electrical work; operation of elevators; Carrying out crane and lifting work; dig out; operating machines that perform woodworking, baking mixes, cleaning, oiling or stamping; Canopy; Welding; and make demolition.

Your teenager securing a job is a big step towards maturity. Talk to him about the pros and cons. You can also agree to a probationary job, such as B. “You can work x hours per week during this assessment period and then based on your grades we will decide if you can continue working.” Maintaining good grades, pursuing extracurricular activities, and maintaining a social life are important to your child’s mental health and development. Also, prepare a budget with your child, set limits on spending, and enforce a policy that converts a percentage of salary into savings. Good money management skills learned at a young age last a lifetime. Part-time jobs can be a wonderful experience, with the right supervision and parental guidance.

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