A survey given to high school seniors would indicate that maybe your teenagers shouldn’t be employed during their high school years. The results of the study indicated that students who were employed during high school years were more likely to be depressed. These same students had lower grade point averages, which may have been because they had less time to spend on homework, the researchers surmised.

The working teens were also more likely to smoke and engage in substance abuse than their peers. They spent less time with their parents than their unemployed peers, which resulted in inferior relationships with their parents and their friends.

I have to admit that I felt a twinge of guilt upon reading this article. I encouraged my teenagers, four so far, to get jobs as soon as they turned 16. My motivation was to help instill a good work ethic, teach them to save, and help them learn the value of a dollar.

My husband and I were concerned about out daughters’ potential work ethic when we adopted them at the ages of nine and 13. Both girls lacked motivation to do anything except sit on the couch, read, or play board games. We were concerned about the examples that had been set for them during their formative years. We encouraged them to join clubs, play sports, help on the farm, and get jobs when they were old enough.

We insisted that each of our teenagers put half of every paycheck into their savings accounts to save for their first automobile and to save for college. Each teen was able to maintain their first job until after graduation and each was able to purchase suitable transportation. Each of them continues to maintain gainful employment.

The girls maintained consistently high grade point averages even after they became employed. The boys, well lets just say they maintained about the same grade point averages. My two oldest children did actually take up smoking while they were teens working during their high school years; however, neither smokes now that they are 24.

Studies completed throughout the 90’s found that teens who are employed are frequently working more than 20 hours a week by their senior year. There is a bit of optimism saying that adolescent employment has both positive and negative effects. The positive outcomes of teen employment include a stronger sense of self worth and occupational achievement.

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