Name Name
Essay #4
Work
        We need to prevent our youth from wasting their time at meaningless jobs so that they may excel in school and someday hold a job that has economical importance. Teenagers are getting jobs at ages as early as 14, the legal limit, but rarely is there a need for the cash flow. At this age they do not have any bills and their only use of their money is for an excuse to leave the house and go to the mall where they spend their money on materialistic knick knacks that break in two weeks and fat-filled corndogs from the food court. The only good it does is teaches them the responsibility of a job and the value of money, which should not be focus’ of theirs at this age. Teenagers growing up in middle-class America get a job solely for the purpose of some spare change, independence and freedom from the restraints that continue to label them ‘child’. 
        By starting work at a young age children are risking their grades. They will not only be working at school, but also managing their time at a paying job, and doing homework. One cannot expect this much out of child that is adjusting to the changes that come with growing up. Any responsible parent would not allow their child to start working until atleast the age of 16 and only if they show responsibility in academics. Suppose they do have a job and are not able to handle all the work, then hopefully they will choose the path less taken and ditch the side job. Unfortunately most children will sacrifice schoolwork for a job, because at that time the product of money seems more important than the product of an education. It will not seem worth it in 10 years when they are working a 9am-5pm desk job shuffling papers five days a week without much chance for promotion. After all a job will take away from not only their school work but their childhood, and although they may want a job now when they look back and realize they have been working all their life they will resent the situation. By keeping our children at school we will teach them more valuable lessons such as power of education and respect for knowledge, allowing them to pursue their dreams and enjoy the career they choose. 
        There is no economic reason for children in middle class families to work. Their family earns an income adequate to raise and even spoil their children. What good is a job going to do for a child that already has everything they need and gets almost everything they want. Well with this new job, now they can buy the newest, coolest toy before Christmas when they would have found it under the tree along with every other child in the neighborhood. Let the kids play with their toys and enjoy their childhood, do not let them waste their time bringing in an income that is wasted away on pointless items with no true value. 
        Although independence and freedom are what a child needs when entering middle school throwing that much responsibility at them could damage their growth as an individual. If you want to teach them the value of responsibility and money there are smaller steps that can ease a child into adulthood and cut the parental and social restraints. Instead of hurling them into the working world you could give them extra chores around the house in exchange for an allowance, or allow them to have a pet and take care of the animal. These simple tasks can be a very big deal for a kid entering teenage years. Allow our children to grow up and slowly gain responsibility instead of burdening them with economic issues.