Parents are being encouraged to use Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day Thursday as an opportunity to have discussions with their children about their finances.
“Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is an occasion to weigh factors of choosing a meaningful career path, compare income and employee benefits, and pay attention to employment trends and conditions. By making deliberate job and career decisions, individuals enhance their own earning potential throughout their lifetime and are better positioned to live their preferred lifestyles,” the National Endowment for Financial Education said in a press release.
NEFE also suggested some of the topics parents can discuss with their children:
‣ Share your own stories to reinforce what your teen is learning in class or through work experience. Use one of these approaches to talk about jobs and money issues with your teen.
‣ Talk with your teen about temporary or part-time jobs that you had when you were a teen or younger adult. Reflect on what has helped you transition to new jobs.
‣ Describe your job responsibilities and why you chose your career or job. Summarize the path that led you to your current job. From your experiences, share one or two pieces of advice for someone who is getting started in a career.
‣ Talk with your teen about any employee benefits offered through your employer. Provide information about the choices you made regarding benefits and what influenced your final decisions about the job and your benefits.
‣ Know the special rules related to teen employment. Check out the U. S. Department of Labor website, Youth Rules. The site provides current labor law information, lists the types of jobs that youth can and cannot do, and details how to deal with any employment violations.
‣ Discuss with your teen the qualities of a mentor who can provide guidance as a young person is getting started in a career. Identify examples of people you both know who might be suitable mentors for your teen.