If you and your spouse work outside the home, an after-school job can give him adult supervision in those crucial afternoon hours. Working more than 13 to 20 hours a week is associated with lower grades. Teens who work too many hours find it difficult to keep up extracurricular activities and social relationships. They may work only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year and until 9 p.m. in the summer. At 16 and 17, teens may perform any non-hazardous job for any number of hours.
Some states impose stiffer restrictions.
Ask what he wants to get out of the job. Discuss the importance of maintaining good grades, continuing extracurricular activities and keeping up his social life. Talk about preparing a budget that includes saving as well as spending. Consider making him responsible for such expenditures as gas when he drives the car, a portion of your auto insurance and some of his entertainment expenses that you have routinely paid for in the past. This could turn out to be a good time to introduce him to real financial planning and investing in stocks, as well as saving in bank accounts.