Jobs and Money

            We all know those people… Those people whose parents get them everything.  The thing is, I have learned to not be jealous of these kids, but instead almost feel bad for them; they are not learning hard work and when the time comes and they are cut off, they won’t know how to react.  I have been working since I was 14, and my parents buy very little (if anything) for me anymore.  I think that it is very important that teenagers have their own jobs, even if it is only during the summer for some very important reasons:

1.      Having a job teaches some responsibility.  In order to keep a job you have to show up on time, in the proper attire, and be able to maintain order outside of work.  If one is consistently late for work they are most likely going to be fired and have to find another job, but because of references, getting fired from one job can become a vicious cycle.

2.      Having a job makes you learn simple hard work.  Rather than always just sitting in front of the TV playing video games, a job gets you out there and being productive.

3.      A job shows you there are more important things than sleeping and hanging with friends.  Have you ever thought about how you are able to go see a movie all the time with your friends? That’s right! Some other teens are at their job so that you can be lazy and spoiled.

Even if you have a job, you may not have to buy your own things.  Although having a job is important, I believe the real value and importance is when you have to start paying for things on your own rather than asking your parents for money:

1.      It teaches even more responsibility than the job itself.  You have to learn to manage your money and figure out what it is that’s really important.

2.      It shows you the value of money.  When you are making your own money, it makes you think harder about spending it because you know the work that was put into getting it and are therefore less likely to spend it.

3.      It helps you in the future.  Someone who is cut off will probably not know how to budget their money very effectively and could end up in a lot more financial problems than someone who is gently eased into spending their own money as a teenager.

I obviously think it is important that teenagers have their own job and spend their own money.  It is something I have been doing for a long time.  If you are struggling to find a job and are one of my fellow Mizzay bloggers, I know two places that will be doing hiring soon and you could leave a comment.  I know as a teenager, the jobs available out there are not always the best or pay all that much, but that only helps teach hard work that much more.

505