Make them work!!

Unless your teenager is a 4.o student with too little time as it is.....Make them hold down at least a part-time job. And if you make a ton of money and are more than willing to dole out money whenever they ask for it--Stop!! You are doing the wrong thing by spoiling your child. Take it from me.

I was not a "spoiled" kid. But let's say, I never did without. At the age of sixteen I suggested to my mother that I get a job, she said "I don't think you need to work so early, I want you to enjoy your teen years as long as you can". Then as a senior in high school I did get a part-time job (well actually I only worked ten hours a week) so that I could leave school at noon because I was in the "work program" for seniors with enough credits to graduate and still leave at noon.

I continued to "work" part-time my first year out of high school but I would hardly called what I did work. And eventually after getting more heavily into drugs I had to leave that job after Thanksgiving. After that it all went down-hill and my family made it easy for me to slack by paying my rent and bills whenever I called to whine about being unable to make it. The truth is I am almost thirty years old and have no work ethic whatsoever. And I am not alone!!

If you want your kid to make it outside of your home after high school, make sure they have had some experience working at least part-time. If you're worried that their grades will suffer, don't be. Worry more about their inability to work after high school. That is unless you plan on paying their expenses forever!!