How to Help a Teen Keep a Job While in School

By Michael McCarty -

Focus on balance, making sure there's ample time for school, studying, after-school activities and the job. It's difficult but it can be done.

  1. Sit down for some preplanning before the job search begins. Figure out workable days and times.

  2. Get a job description before the teen takes the job. A job that asks a lot of a teen may make him or her too tired to keep up with other things, and the job may eventually have to be sacrificed.

  3. Make sure there is ready transportation available. If the teen does not have a car or doesn't see to drive, arrange your schedule so you can get him to work on time.

  4. Will assistive devices or other specialized technology be necessary for the teen to be successful at the job? If so, be prepared to purchase these items.

  5. Show respect for your teen's job. If Aunt Martha is coming for dinner, don't insist that the teen try to get out of his shift in order to be home.

  6. Keep tabs on how classes are going. Grades, test papers and parent-teacher conferences are great ways to keep on top of it.

If there's too much to do and your teen is losing sleep and neglecting schoolwork, it's time for a major sit-down talk about what needs to go. Perhaps the job can be kept if another extracurricular activity is dropped.

Keep your eyes open for symptoms of stress; a short temper, poor appetite or exhaustion are signs that your teen is not juggling all of his responsibilities well.

If your teen gets into a dispute with his boss, it's likely that he will not welcome interference from his parents. Be supportive, but don't butt in.

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