When Should Your Child Get His/Her First Job?

This week, we asked our Moms Council this question:

When should a child pursue his/her first job?

Moms Council Member Pamela Mason gives us her answer:

When I was growing up, the right time was when my wants outgrew my allowance. I was fourteen and I spent my ice cream parlor paycheck on clothes and makeup and music. Plus I got to eat all the ice cream I wanted.

Now the stakes are much higher. It's taken a solid year for my son to find a decent first job that didn't involve our lawnmower. Employers have a larger pool of applicants who have greater needs than a kid with an empty gas tank.

But somehow my teenage son managed to convince the man who hired him that he was responsible, courteous, prompt and persistent—that he would be able to handle the demands of a regular job; be there when scheduled on time and stay through his shift, while juggling grades and team practices and meets; that he would maintain his work uniform for his job's image and his own car so he has reliable transportation.

When your child passes that threshold where other adults, unknown to you, regard him or her as being on that level where he's trustworthy and dependable, that's when he or she is ready for that first job.

Funnily enough, all of our friends have seen and talked to our son at the restaurant where he works. But, per his request, his dad and I are barred from eating there anymore. Riddle me that one, Batman!

About Moms Talk

Moms Talk is a new feature on Dallas-Hiram Patch that is part of a new initiative to reach out to moms and families.

We invite you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Paulding County.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. Do you know of local moms raising their children in the Tiger Mother's way and is it the best way? Where can we get information on local flu shot clinics for children? How do we talk to our children about the Tucson shootings? How can we help our children's schools weather their budget cutbacks?