Should Teens Have a Summer Job?

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The teenage summer job: it’s an American rite of passage that once seemed inevitable, but now feels more optional than ever. In an age of competitive college applications, AP class overloads, and year-round sports schedules, many parents find themselves wondering: Should teens even have jobs anymore? Or is that idea just a dusty relic of our own teenage years — back when the only summer goal was to make enough money for gas, movie tickets, and Taco Bell?

The answer, like practically all other parenting decisions, is: it depends.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to teen employment. Some teenagers thrive with the structure and respons