As your kids get older, you’ll want to start imparting some “money” wisdom! Educating them about money helps them succeed on their own. One of those lessons: how to find a job. Making a living allows them to support themselves and their families down the line. You can start when they’re home by showing them how to earn a wage. The process of helping teens earn money can take many forms, and this guide will get you started.
Helping Teens Earn Money: a Guide for Parents
From teaching kids about different types of job opportunities to getting them started with work around the house, there’s a lot you can teach! Get ready to educate!
Important Lessons To Learn
The first step to helping teens earn money: teach them why working and making an income will be beneficial.
In addition to having their own money to spend as they wish, your kids will also learn how to be responsible with money. It will also teach them how to work with various personalities. During these early working years, your teens will also gain skills they can’t learn in books, such as time management. By starting early and learning the value of hard work, your kids will also gain a stronger work ethic, which will be valuable down the road.
After your teens earn money, teach them how to manage their incoming funds. Help them open a bank account. Explain the value of opening a high-interest savings account so they can earn even more. Once they’re old enough, help them get their own credit card with a low-limit to learn about smart spending and paying their debts.
Different Ways Teens Earn Money
The next step to helping teens earn money: talk about different types of work and career paths they can take. They can always go to college, earn a degree, and find their dream career that way. However, if your teens hate school or want to be their own boss, they can become entrepreneurs or work as freelancers.
The great thing about freelancing: kids can start young! And, the sky’s the limit to what they can do. Do your kids want to work from home? They could start an online business, such as writing, editing, or creating their own online store. If they’re not sure what they want to do, show them the various different summer jobs that could turn into a business, which include:
- Cutting grass;
- Reviewing songs online;
- Working as a video game tester;
- Babysitting or pet sitting;
- Designing T-shirts;
- Becoming a camp counselor.
If they’re not sure what to do, have them reach out to friends and see what they do, or call family to see if they need any work done around the house.
Applying For A First Job
If you want to help your older teens earn money through the more traditional routes, talk to them about the ins and outs of applying for their first job or internship. Educate them on how to find jobs by stopping by businesses and asking if they’re hiring or asking about internship opportunities at companies that interest them. You’ll want to properly prepare them for the materials they’ll need to submit when applying, including the resume and references if they have them.
You can sit down and help them create their first resume. If they don’t have much previous job experience, you can fill the resume with their school performance, clubs they’re in that might apply to this job, and their character traits. If they’re uncomfortable, go with them when they interview for their first job and support them.
The Value Of Household Chores
Kids just entering their teen years may be too young to go off on their own to do yard work for strangers or apply for a traditional job. In that case, help teens earn money through household chores. Depending on their age, present a list of chores they can do each week to earn a few bucks. When you start to think about it, you’ll discover many tasks they can do, including:
- Washing the dishes;
- Cutting the grass;
- Cleaning the windows;
- Setting the table;
- Emptying trash bins;
- Changing out the toilet paper rolls.
Set an allowance and pay them for all accomplished tasks at the end of the week. You can keep track of their responsibilities by creating or printing an online chore chart. Use a chart that allows the kids to mark off the daily or weekly chores so that everyone knows it was done. You may have to inspect their work from time to time. You can also separate the chart into different sections, like the chores they need to complete in each room.
Your kids will feel a real sense of accomplishment when they mark a task off their list, and they’ll want to chase that feeling as they grow up and get jobs outside of the house. Your young teens will learn great lessons about patience and saving as they put their cash together each week in anticipation of buying a cool new toy or gadget.
It’ll be an exciting day when your teens tell you they want to start earning their own money. You can teach them so much, and they’ll carry these lessons with them for the rest of their lives.
About the Writer: Miles Oliver is an independent writer with a passion for tech, psychology, sustainability, and simply helping people live happy and fulfilled lives. When he is not writing or working, he is most likely mountain biking or kicking back with a cup of tea.
