Henry County Medical Center

SUM 2016

Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.

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8 S P I R I T O F W O M E N S U M M E R 2 016 w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m F I N A N C I A L F I T N E S S SHUTTERSTOCK "You have to know your child and their time management skills, but to have time to study, and do sports and clubs and have a social life and a part-time job is often hard to balance," she says, adding that she recommends volunteer work during the school year rather than employment if money isn't an issue. In the summer, working at a paying job in a field related to the teen's interests is a great idea, says Schindler. When a teen does work for pay, it's important that he or she has the opportunity to develop skills of responsibility, leadership and problem-solving, the kinds of "college- and career-ready skills" that schools and employers are looking for these days, says Jones. A MATTER OF TIME During the school year, it's best to keep weekly working hours for teens to a minimum if possible. In fact, a study conducted by Jerald G. Bachman, research scientist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, found that teens who had the highest rate of completing college worked less than 15 hours a week during their school year while in high school. In addition, the study found, those who put aside their earnings for college or other long-term expenses rather than using the funds as spending money were able to avoid what Bachman refers to as "premature affluence"—spending habits that they might not be able to maintain as college students or when they first join the full-time work force as adults. • T he question of whether teens should work— and how much—is a hot debate topic among researchers and guidance counselors alike. One thing that most agree on, however, is that there's no one-size-fits-all answer. For some teens, of course, family financial concerns make the income from a part-time job during the school year a necessity. But for others, the answer may depend on how well the teen can balance different aspects of his life and what the job has to offer beyond pay. FINDING A BALANCE "Jobs can teach teens about responsibility and handling money, but for the time they take away from schoolwork and extracurricular activities, it's often not worth the tradeoff," says Juliet Wehr Jones, president and chief executive officer of Seattle-based Career Key, a service that helps youth and adults find the right career match for long-term success. Mazra Schindler, a high school guidance counselor at a competitive high school in New York City, says she doesn't see many kids with jobs until their senior year, when students often try to get work related to their interests. have a job By Stephanie Thompson h Should your teen ? "For the time [jobs] take away from schoolwork and extracurricular activities, it's often not worth the tradeoff." ~ Juliet Wehr Jones, Career Key

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