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I was just thinking today about how old a child should be to have a job ? Seems like most start at 18 or so and have a lot of trouble finding something to meet their expectations . Would starting them earlier help do you think ? To me an 18 year old is grown/adult .

I was 14 (which was legal in my home state) when I had my first job. Great experience and it was huge stepping stone to where I am today.

At home or somewhere else?

Many kids I've known have gotten jobs at about 16-17 to start paying for gas money, car insurance, dates, clothing, and other stuff. It's not easy getting a job at that age these days, but my niece that just graduated from high school has held down two jobs for about a year or so. She's starting college this fall semester. She won't be 18y for another week.

It depends on the child but I don't think parents do high school students any favors by paying for cell phones, gasoline, etc. instead of encouraging the teens to work for those things.

I started hoeing cotton for my parents when I was about 12. By 13, I was mowing, edging, and doing various yard work for others. At 14, I got a paper route and continued with the yard work.

Just before my 16th birthday, I got my first "real" job in a hardware store. I had pestered the manager for the better part of a year. I think he hired me just to shut me up.

Unfortunately, my son did not have the same opportunities to work. I was in the Air Force, stationed in Germany. I felt bad about that because I think it builds character and helps develop a work ethic. Still, he turned out okay.

I worked for my dad from age 5, putting pants guards on coat hangars for his dry-cleaning shop. I always had a job of some kind from paperboy at 12 onwards.

I required my own sons to earn what they wanted. Luckily, my oldest boy counted the days until he could get a paper route at age 12. He needed a motorscooter for the route, and I financed it for him. I arranged for his grandmother to finance their cars when they got to be old enough, but they had to earn enough to keep it going, pay insurance (I'm with USAA so it wasn't ruinous!).

When college approached, I told both sons in turn to decide what they wanted to do and what it would take to do it. They could bring all the resources they could to the project and I would make sure they had the rest. I did it this way in part because that's how I did it, and in part because of the example of a dear friend whose son never worked a day in his life, always had new cars, a kegger for his 16th birthday. He went to UCLA and got kicked out of the dorm for drinking, after room and board and tuition were paid. His mother worked two jobs to foot the bills for this worthless kid. I'm not sure if he ever finished but he died at age 37 from drugs. He didn't care a whit about school or learning or knowing anything, except partying, chasing the gals, doing drugs etc. I'm not paying for that!

I identify with Ted Cruz's dad who worked his way through UT, as I did, working 20 hours a week, playing dances on weekends etc. He did it because he wanted to, and so did I. It's good for you. Otherwise its a waste of money, like teaching a pig to dance.

I was 15 when I started my first official job and had to have my parents sign off on it (this was in NM). But I had other off-the-book jobs when I was younger. Mowed lawns and some other random work for neighbors starting around 13.

Of course that doesn't include all the work I did to help my Dad repair/renovate homes to rent out or re-sell. He is a real estate agent and that is his retirement plan. Well until the housing bubble burst.

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Had my first paper route in the fifth grade. I can't remember how old a person is in the fifth grade... LOL. I delivered circulars door to door in the fourth grade. Got paid a buck something and hour and thought I was rolling in the money. Those are probably not what you meant. I suppose my first real job was at fourteen... Busboy at a Mexican food place.

As soon as I had a license at 16 I started working a 'real' job. The two summers before that I worked with my father in construction, helping with various things. I appreciate the life lessons working taught me and by 18 actually enjoyed it and worked hard to move up where I was at. It definitely impacted my life in a positive way. My girlfriend on the other hand, didn't work until she was out of college, so first job in corporate America at age 21. She enjoyed it but has said multiple times she wish she would have at least worked through college to help transition easier and build a better work ethic earlier.

I'd recommend that they be out of the womb at least. After that point, if they have the skills put 'em to work.

If nothing else they can mop the floors.

I have asked quite a few parents in personal conversation the same question and they dont seem to even have an opinion or just think it's odd that they would work until they got out of school .

I started working "officially" at 15. However,

Around here most of the jobs that teenagers did: yard work, fast food joints, light construction, and retail are now held by ESL employees or true adults (retail). Employment now days is a very different animal then when I grew up. If I tried working the positions I had then, they would have already been filled by newcomers to this state, so new their feet are still wet.

I started when I was 14, working at Win-Dixie as a bag boy.

--Daniel

chuck j wrote:I have asked quite a few parents in personal conversation the same question and they dont seem to even have an opinion or just think it's odd that they would work until they got out of school .

I think this has become too common. Too many parents are coddling their kids, protecting them too much, and doing too much for them. Too many of these kids end up expecting too many things be done for them instead of them earning anything.