Building Teen Character: Part-Time Employment
The teenage years are a crucial time in a child's life. They are not children anymore, but they are also not adults. During this time the choices they make may have an effect on them for the rest of their lives. It is the parents' responsibility to guide their teenagers in the right direction by helping them make responsible choices and building their character to the point that when their teenagers move out of the house they are on the road to being responsible adults and have the tools they need to succeed in life.
There are a number of ways that parents can help teenagers build their character. One way is through part-time employment. Having a job provides many learning opportunities for teens.
* It teaches them what it takes to make a living, and that it is hard work to earn money to pay bills.
* They have the opportunity to learn to manage their own money and make choices of how they will spend it.
* If parents gives their teens the responsibility of paying for some of their own bills (e.g., car insurance, gas, clothing, cell phone, lunches out, etc.), then teens will realize they will only be able to have these things if they pay for them and will have to decide if it is worth it to them or not. Their priorities suddenly change when it is their money they are spending. They don't necessarily have to pay all their own bills, giving them a couple of expenses to take care of will teach them to pay their own way and make responsible choices with their money.
* Working is one way for teens to learn to get along with and work along side other people, a very crucial step in character development. How many adults do you know that can't get along with other people! Teens learn that you won't always like everyone you work with, but that it doesn't matter. You still do your job and have a good attitude about it, treating others as you wish to be treated.
* The process of looking for a job requires teenagers to take a good look at themselves and their abilities, helping them to see what kind of people they want to be and what they ultimately want to do with their lives.
* Job experience is the first step to building a successful resume. Any jobs a teen has will look good on college applications and be a stepping stone to future employment.
Of course, all this sounds great but in reality can be difficult to put into practice. The first job our daughter had she got laid off from because she and her boss could not come to agreement on the hours she would work. After she started working there he changed the hours he said she could work and it conflicted with other activities she had. It was very hard for her to feel like she was "fired" from her first job. We had to talk through a lot of the feelings she had towards her boss and some of the experiences she had at that job. But because she chose to honor her boss by showing him respect when he didn't necessarily deserve it, he gave her an excellent reference for her next job.
A couple of months later she did find another job that was much better than the first one, and she had many great learning experiences of working with others and learning to serve others even when it was very hard work.
Parents can't just throw their teens out into the workplace and expect everything will go great. Issues will arise that need to be worked through with the parents' help, but this is where the learning occurs, and character development begins!
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For more inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit her web sites at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and http://www.christian-parent.com
Related Articles:
Searching Wisely For Graduate Jobs
The graduate job search is a rite of passage conducted by hundreds of thousands of UK graduates every year. With so many new professionals on the job market, there is a questionable quality to the applications and CV that are sent out around the region. After all, many graduates have the academic and abstract knowledge to succeed in the workplace but often lack the skills to conduct a proper job search. Without a wisely conducted job search, UK graduates wont be able to get their first break in their particular industry and cannot show off their skills. By conducting a deliberate and wise graduate job search, exceptional candidates can separate themselves from the competition and land their dream job right away.
New Website for Aviation Jobs, AvitationCrossing.com, Caters to Massive Boom in Aviation Jobs Occurring Throughout the United States
EmploymentCrossing.com has recently launched a new website, AviationCrossing.com. Searching for an aviation job typically requires going to multiple websites to find jobs: employer websites, association websites and multiple job boards. A new website, AviationCrossing.com seeks to consolidate every job in the aviation industry in one place. AviationCrossing.com contains airline pilot jobs, aviation mechanic jobs, air traffic controller jobs, airline stewardess jobs, baggage handler jobs, aviation support jobs and all types of careers in the aviation industry.
Greensboro Employment Law Workshop, December 7, Presented by CAI and Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLC
Greensboro Employment Law Workshop, December 7, presented by CAI and Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLC.
New Book Extols the Joys and Necessities of Reading, Interviewing Authors, Librarians, and Public Figures to Challenge Readers to Dream
Jeannette Cezanne's new book, Open Your Heart with Reading, is a must-read for anyone who has ever loved a story ? and wanted to share it. Available now from your favorite bookseller.
Dream Job Poll on EQSQ.com Reveals Childhood Jobs of Choice
EQSQ.com's online "The Pollitzer" poll asks visitors to reveal their top childhood career goals. Men and women who want to find the right career or educational program go to EQSQ.com, a personality quiz resource that features polls and articles about social, gender and career issues.
Resume Writing Service Marketing
Marketing A Resume BusinessWhen starting a resume business, your marketing campaign is the most important aspect of your business plan. Without clients being able to find your services, you will not have orders! We suggest starting out with local advertising.
Exploring The Best Jobs For Graduates
For many graduates leaving UK and European universities this spring, there is going to be the inevitable debate about what to do in their professional lives. While there are some graduates who leave with a clear purpose owing to their fields of study, such as medical and other vocational graduates, most have degrees that don?t offer a clear line to one specific professional choice. These graduates shouldn?t worry themselves, however, as there are a number of positions that offer broad experience without requiring a long term commitment. Indeed, these types of positions can act as a bridge between university and the professional world.
Develop Good Networks in Administrative Jobs
An administrator needs to learn quickly how to communicate with other administrators on a daily basis. There are few companies where department and divisional administrators work on projects independent from other administrative professionals. You can succeed in administrative jobs by taking a dynamic approach to communications with your subordinates, colleagues and superiors.
Taking Advantage of the Growing Market for Environmental Jobs
A combination of public concern, international regulation and pragmatic resources management has led to a growth in environmental jobs. Graduates who are concerned about the state of the environment are no longer confined to protests and letter writing. There are a number of jobs throughout the United Kingdom and Europe for graduates with an extensive knowledge of environmental issues. You need to set your expectations and approach employers that fit your profile for an ideal workplace.
Why Use a Resume Writer or Resume-writing Service?
Here are some of the questions we have been asked by our clients or potential clients in the past, together with our answers to them. We hope you find them useful, and that they help you to make an informed decision.
Morehead Webinar Discusses Measuring Employee Retention Across the Employment Lifecycle
Collecting retention-related data during the entire employment lifecycle minimizes employee turnover.
Writing An Effective Legal Resume
Law school taught you plenty, but it probably didn?t teach you how to write a resume that will secure you an interview with the firm of your dreams It can be daunting to create or even update a resume because there?s so much pressure to be unique
Are You Suited for Self-employment?
A recent poll conducted by Yahoo! Small Business
showed that nearly 3 out of 4 Americans have considered
starting their own business. In fact, of more than 2,200
adults surveyed, over half (51 percent) said they would
like to launch their small business within the next 5 years.
Considering Flight Jobs Throughout The World
When the average student or young professional thinks about the flight industry, they typically think of major carriers that fly international routes. After all, commercials and the use of these airlines by millions of passengers per year make it all but impossible not to think of them when provoked. However, potential flight professionals need to consider the bigger picture when thinking about the flight job market. There are many jobs for companies big and small throughout the world, with a job to fit almost any personal or professional need. As well, pilots and other flight professionals who want to see different parts of the world can find work almost anywhere. Pilots and mechanics alike have special skills that set them apart from the ...
Disaboom Offers Jobs to Social Network Community Members to Tackle High Unemployment Rate for People with Disabilities
Premiere Online Community for people living with or touched by disability employs Disaboom Community Members in newly launched sales force. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 67 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed, making them the largest unemployed population in America. To create employment opportunities for this population, Disaboom, the largest online community designed for people touched by disabilities, has taken a unique step by hiring its own online community members.