Balancing school and a job.
Working can be an exciting and confidence-boosting experience for teens with learning and thinking differences. Success on the job can provide a welcome relief from challenges at school. It can help build a resume for future employment. And a regular paycheck can provide an important sense of empowerment.
School, though, can easily get shortchanged in the process. It can be particularly hard for teens with organizational issues to juggle work and school and stay focused. Here’s what you can do to help your teen strike the right balance.
Encourage a slow start.
Studies show that work starts to take a toll on grades when teens spend more than 15 hours on the job each week. It may be wise for your child to work even fewer hours.
Make time for new commitments.
Talk with your teen about how they see their job and their schoolwork both getting done. What will your teen need to put off or give up in order to succeed at both the job and school?
For example, if your teen will be working for three hours after school, they might block out three hours after dinner each night for their “other job” — doing schoolwork. Highlight these times on a calendar and post it in the kitchen or somewhere else centrally located. It will be a visual cue for your high-schooler as well as for others in the family to respect your teen’s schedule.
If possible, this may be the time to ease up on chores and other responsibilities on the home front, at least until your teen gets comfortable with the new routine.
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