For most people, jobs offer a paycheck and a reason to set the alarm each morning. Your kids may not find either reason very compelling, but there are some good reasons to push them to work during the summer or on weekends. Responsibility and a sense of pride rank highly, but there are other reasons your kids should work. They may not like it now, but they’ll thank you later when they become competent adults. Here are five great reasons your teen should start looking for employment.

 

5. They’ll have extra spending cash.

 

One of the basic reasons we all have jobs is to pay for things like bills, groceries and weekend getaways. Your teen may not be going away anytime soon, but she might need new shoes, movie tickets and other extras that an allowance won’t and shouldn’t cover. Teenagers can benefit from earning their own extra spending cash because they’ll learn the value of money as well as the disappointment of not having any to play with.

 

4. It will get them out of the house.

 

Do you have teens that loaf in their rooms while watching TV and chatting with their friends? This might be perfectly normal teenager behavior, but it’s not a great way for them to spend all of their non-school hours. Jobs offer more than a paycheck: They get your kids out of the house and into the “real” world.

 

3. They’ll develop necessary life skills.

 

Your teenagers will learn a lot from school and interacting with their friends, but a job can teach them more than social skills. Jobs teach pride in appearance, punctuality, time management, attention to detail and a slew of other important character traits that will benefit them later in life.

 

2. They’ll learn financial responsibility.

 

Teens may not have any idea how money works, and that’s understandable. Until now, they’ve been living off of the things you provide for them and occasional birthday checks. Getting a job can be a lesson in responsibility, and a bank account and accompanying debit card an important step in early credit education, teaching them financial responsibility and how to properly manage their funds.

 

1. They might discover a career option.

 

Jobs for teenagers may not be limited to fast food places. These days, a summer internship may offer your kids the chance to learn graphic design while working at an innovative design company. Even if they do land the stereotypical retail job, teenagers can decide what they do and don’t want for their future selves by experiencing things firsthand when young.

 

Kari Luckett and Jayla Barnsen write about financial topics for CompareWallet.com. Kari is the content strategist for CompareCard.com.