Some of the earliest memories of my childhood are from when I was about three years old. My parents were having a difficult year financially, and there was one gift under the Christmas tree for both my brother and myself. The only reason I knew that this was unusual, was because we had been at our cousins’ house earlier where the tree there at been absolutely brimming with brightly papered packages and sparkly ribbons. In fact, I think that even in my three year old wisdom I made a comment that they had more presents than that needed, at least that’s how the story goes. But it wouldn’t be the last time that I watched my family struggle through difficult economic times. There would be many, many more, and up until grade 11, my parents had built up this masterful facade that everything was okay, little did my brother and I know that they had nothing left in the retirement savings because they’d used it all to pay debts and raise us.
From the tender age of ten, I knew that I wanted to make my own money as soon as I possibly could, so I could secure my little future. And I wasn’t just talking about setting up some puny lemonade stand or doing pop can drives, I had lofty dreams of having enough money to buy Christmas presents for my entire family members, or helping out with buying our pet food because I knew it was expensive. Needless to say, I was rather ambitious. My parents found my desire to work endearing, but also worrisome. They were concerned I was ‘money hungry’ and I’d lose my focus in school. They couldn’t have been more wrong. I was an enthusiastic student who excelled in school, and it was the desire to feel like a productive member of society that drove me to want a job.
I know now that I was unique to my generation. I had my first job at twelve, working with a family who had two autistic children. It wasn’t a regular babysitting gig, it was an exercise in physical strength and patience. I had to learn American sign language and three days a week, for three hours in the evening, I transformed from being a normal, giggly adolescent to a mature, empathetic care giver. Because of the nature of the work, I was paid handsomely, especially for those days, and my competency helped me to gain an exceptional reputation in my community.
Child care is just one field of work that a teen can work in. In Canada, it’s a great place to 
start your first job because of the shortage in child care. But there is a myriad of other options and these should be explored with your teen. This current generation seems to have some sort of aversion to work, and parents are far too over indulgent. They dole out wads of cash and allow their children to waste it on expensive gadgets and fancy clothes. Even my younger brother didn’t get his first job until he and his friends were high school seniors. It wasn’t until he was in his first couple of years away at college, that he understood the value of a dollar, and how good it felt to earn his own money.
Of course school is your child’s first priority, but teaching your children the importance of a solid work ethic will not only set them up for success in their future careers, but it will also help to teach them about self worth, the value of time, and the importance of seizing your own economic independence.