At what age did you start working?

[florezitta10]

I was 16 when I started working at the movie theater a few blocks from my house. The job itself sucks, loved the people though (well, some). I learned a lot - you have to be patient with people because you run into all sorts of people...sometimes I wanted to cry because some people were so mean! But for your 16 year old, I think it's a great time for her to find something! You just have to watch her and make sure she doesn't take on too much though. By senior year, I was pretty much working full time (since I finally turned 18 in April and was able to stay at work past midnight! lol) and taking naps in class. I still got good grades though, go figure. Best part of working, I met some great people that I would've never met if I didn't work there, including my boyfriend. So I do thank that place...and now I'm about to graduate and I'm reallllly considering going back there since a lot of my friends are still there (very scary thought) and I'm getting desperate lol.

As for the younger one, you can still keep her close...maybe give her some extra cash for do chores or something...or helping you cook dinner.

Customer service can be a lil rough specially on young people I have seen my share of mean people go into my local KFC and they have a rudest attitude with the cashiers. 13 yr old does cook dinner once a week on and off but it's something she does on her own I wouldn't want to make her feel bad by paying her for that but I will have to come up with a creative way to create a job at home or maybe she can babysit for family or help family with chores  will have to find something for her to do thanks for your reply

[inluvwitmm]

I was 16 when I started working at the movie theater a few blocks from my house. The job itself sucks, loved the people though (well, some). I learned a lot - you have to be patient with people because you run into all sorts of people...sometimes I wanted to cry because some people were so mean! But for your 16 year old, I think it's a great time for her to find something! You just have to watch her and make sure she doesn't take on too much though. By senior year, I was pretty much working full time (since I finally turned 18 in April and was able to stay at work past midnight! lol) and taking naps in class. I still got good grades though, go figure. Best part of working, I met some great people that I would've never met if I didn't work there, including my boyfriend. So I do thank that place...and now I'm about to graduate and I'm reallllly considering going back there since a lot of my friends are still there (very scary thought) and I'm getting desperate lol.

As for the younger one, you can still keep her close...maybe give her some extra cash for do chores or something...or helping you cook dinner.

Customer service can be a lil rough specially on young people I have seen my share of mean people go into my local KFC and they have a rudest attitude with the cashiers. 13 yr old does cook dinner once a week on and off but it's something she does on her own I wouldn't want to make her feel bad by paying her for that but I will have to come up with a creative way to create a job at home or maybe she can babysit for family or help family with chores  will have to find something for her to do thanks for your reply

Yeah, customer service can be crazy...with ticket prices these days, people expect a lot and they don't realize that companies are still just hiring teens and not really training them properly...so we get beat up. But if she can learn to be really patient when someone is screaming and spitting in her face, that person may be calm and apologizing by the end of the conversation (win!). It's a great life lesson...how to deal with different types of people.

Babysitting would definitely work for the younger one...that's what my sister and I did when we were younger. We have a lot of uncles and aunts so they had us babysit our cousins in the summer for some extra cash. It was usually more play than work but still teaches responsibility. Did you think about letting them do volunteer work instead? I don't know if money is their main motivator, but volunteer work can be fun too...I volunteered at my local library when I was in middle school and used it as a reference when I got my first job (also for my college application lol). Then I did a little work at a local animal shelter but that was a lot harder cause you just want to take all the animals home.

[florezitta10]

I was 16 when I started working at the movie theater a few blocks from my house. The job itself sucks, loved the people though (well, some). I learned a lot - you have to be patient with people because you run into all sorts of people...sometimes I wanted to cry because some people were so mean! But for your 16 year old, I think it's a great time for her to find something! You just have to watch her and make sure she doesn't take on too much though. By senior year, I was pretty much working full time (since I finally turned 18 in April and was able to stay at work past midnight! lol) and taking naps in class. I still got good grades though, go figure. Best part of working, I met some great people that I would've never met if I didn't work there, including my boyfriend. So I do thank that place...and now I'm about to graduate and I'm reallllly considering going back there since a lot of my friends are still there (very scary thought) and I'm getting desperate lol.

As for the younger one, you can still keep her close...maybe give her some extra cash for do chores or something...or helping you cook dinner.

Customer service can be a lil rough specially on young people I have seen my share of mean people go into my local KFC and they have a rudest attitude with the cashiers. 13 yr old does cook dinner once a week on and off but it's something she does on her own I wouldn't want to make her feel bad by paying her for that but I will have to come up with a creative way to create a job at home or maybe she can babysit for family or help family with chores  will have to find something for her to do thanks for your reply

Yeah, customer service can be crazy...with ticket prices these days, people expect a lot and they don't realize that companies are still just hiring teens and not really training them properly...so we get beat up. But if she can learn to be really patient when someone is screaming and spitting in her face, that person may be calm and apologizing by the end of the conversation (win!). It's a great life lesson...how to deal with different types of people.

Babysitting would definitely work for the younger one...that's what my sister and I did when we were younger. We have a lot of uncles and aunts so they had us babysit our cousins in the summer for some extra cash. It was usually more play than work but still teaches responsibility. Did you think about letting them do volunteer work instead? I don't know if money is their main motivator, but volunteer work can be fun too...I volunteered at my local library when I was in middle school and used it as a reference when I got my first job (also for my college application lol). Then I did a little work at a local animal shelter but that was a lot harder cause you just want to take all the animals home.

They will be doing volunteer work at the library as well but she wants to make her own money. She has a plan for getting into college and volunteer work is in her plans. I agree about the animal shelter tho she would bring all the animals home lol we already have 3 dogs and a bird lol

[Lynn1202]

I was 16 years old when I started babysitting, and 17 years old when I started working for Payless Shoe Source.  However, in 1999 when I was a Customer Service Manager at Tom Thumb grocery store in Texas, before Safeway bought them out, there were teenagers as young as 14 years old.  Check with the business they want to work with and see what their policy is for the number of hours that they are allowed to work.  I wish my parents encouraged me to work young and how to save part of that money.  Then I wouldn't have had the financial struggles that I have had been experiencing.  Plus, it will give you a little more time of peace and quiet and/or get things accomplished more quickly then if the teens were home.  Most importantly it will help teach the teenagers responsibility at young age, so when they are older, they won't be struggling to figure it out.   

[lighthouse68]

Hello everyone, SOme of you already know that I have 2 teen girls. well the both want to get jobs and I don't know if i'm ok with that. How old were you and if you have older kids or teens how old were they when they started working and what advice can you give me to feel a little better about this I still see them as my babies  and don't want to let them go. I mean I know i have to and I know I will just want to get some input lol 

I started babysitting when I was 12. I took the babysitting course that was offered to get training for first aid and such. I then worked at a grovery store when I turn 16.  I hope this will help.

[freewheelin08]

I was 16 and got a job at Panera Bread.

[florezitta10]

I was 16 years old when I started babysitting, and 17 years old when I started working for Payless Shoe Source.  However, in 1999 when I was a Customer Service Manager at Tom Thumb grocery store in Texas, before Safeway bought them out, there were teenagers as young as 14 years old.  Check with the business they want to work with and see what their policy is for the number of hours that they are allowed to work.  I wish my parents encouraged me to work young and how to save part of that money.  Then I wouldn't have had the financial struggles that I have had been experiencing.  Plus, it will give you a little more time of peace and quiet and/or get things accomplished more quickly then if the teens were home.  Most importantly it will help teach the teenagers responsibility at young age, so when they are older, they won't be struggling to figure it out.   

I have seen a few teen looking kids in my local grocery store I will ask their policy next time I go there. I agree i think we need to teach kids responsibility from a young age and I think it is totally true that it carries on to when they get older. Thanks for your reply

[florezitta10]

Hello everyone, SOme of you already know that I have 2 teen girls. well the both want to get jobs and I don't know if i'm ok with that. How old were you and if you have older kids or teens how old were they when they started working and what advice can you give me to feel a little better about this I still see them as my babies  and don't want to let them go. I mean I know i have to and I know I will just want to get some input lol 

I started babysitting when I was 12. I took the babysitting course that was offered to get training for first aid and such. I then worked at a grovery store when I turn 16.  I hope this will help.

Thanks for your reply. I think I will have all three of us take the first aid course I been wanting to take it anyways. I guess it just depends on who you are and how things work for you right were all different Thanks again

[florezitta10]

I was 16 and got a job at Panera Bread.

I guess most people start around 16 seems good to me

[mmangas]

I started working when I was tall enough to reach a cash register.  I think it's good for children to have a work ethic and to make their own money that they can buy "extra" stuff with.  And if you teach your children how to save with each and every paycheck they get...this will help out as they mature in life!

Wow how old was that? I think you are right about teaching them to save. I have taught them to do that even with their allowance so hopefully that will help them be more responsible when they do get a job

My aunt and uncle own a home decor store and I ran the cash register (with supervised help of course) since I was probably 9 years old.  I helped my father wash cars at the car dealership he worked at when I was 16.  I would say 16 is about the right age for kids to get a job.  They can drive themselves and it doesn't require any extra work from parents.

[wischmeyersn]

I started "working" when I was 14, but the job I had was filing and odds and ends stuff where my mom worked at. Nothing big and they paid me cash lol.  Then I got my first real job at 16 as a waitress, i didn't mind it I actually worked there for 5 years lol

[florezitta10]

I started working when I was tall enough to reach a cash register.  I think it's good for children to have a work ethic and to make their own money that they can buy "extra" stuff with.  And if you teach your children how to save with each and every paycheck they get...this will help out as they mature in life!

Wow how old was that? I think you are right about teaching them to save. I have taught them to do that even with their allowance so hopefully that will help them be more responsible when they do get a job

My aunt and uncle own a home decor store and I ran the cash register (with supervised help of course) since I was probably 9 years old.  I helped my father wash cars at the car dealership he worked at when I was 16.  I would say 16 is about the right age for kids to get a job.  They can drive themselves and it doesn't require any extra work from parents.

Hmm thanks for reminding me maybe i'll ask my sis in law to hire her she is in real estate and car insurance maybe she can help there

[florezitta10]

I started "working" when I was 14, but the job I had was filing and odds and ends stuff where my mom worked at. Nothing big and they paid me cash lol.  Then I got my first real job at 16 as a waitress, i didn't mind it I actually worked there for 5 years lol

Cool !! I like that I think thats where we are gonna go with my kids. Family business lol

[tsaiireii]

I got a job when I was 15 as a lifeguard. It taught me a lot about responsibility and whatnot; it's a good experience as long as it doesn't interfere with academics or other activities. In my case, having stellar grades was important to get into a great college program. So depending on what your daughters aim to do in the future, choose wisely? It may be better to have
them commit to a summer job only.

[supptrashcan]

I started working when I got my license... as it was a bribe by my parents so I could get a car.
It was a great collateral. I mean, I didn't want to work... but I had a car, and as a result of the job, I had money so it was really great.