Maggie's Farm

Wages are transitional. When I was under 12, people were willing to pay, but not much, for work they hated or really needed. I got $1.35/hour babysitting for three-under-three given my parents stayed home in an emergency. That lasted not long.

At that same age, I was paid $3/hour to teach "new math" to my brothers' classmates who were suddenly flunking the subject and their parents had not the foggiest idea what the texts book meant.

By 13, a neighbor, whose eldest was taking off for college and needed some time before leaving the household, found I was useful for answering the home office phones, balancing checkbooks, sending out statements and other such chores. $2.50/hour and a good bit of learning on my part about being an in-between for the box industry.

Repeated this job at age 14 because the wife/secretary's mother in another state needed attention. Expanded into taking orders, checking due dates, confirming deliveries, etc. = lots of phone work and customer interaction.

Age 15 to 18: retail at Marshall Fields & Co. What can I say. Back to $1.50/hour but the lessons learned were monumental.

After 18, this is when the conundrum starts. Do you work as an intern (no pay, perhaps some reimbursement for expenses) to enter a highly competitive area, OR do you charge forth at minimum wage working the service industry?

I'm watching this grandchild generation evolve and balance between education/careers. The BIG problem is that lack of job experience (being paid OUTSIDE the household) between ages 12 to 18. Those six years made a huge difference regarding the choices I made later on. We need more teens at work early on. Pay or no pay, the experience makes a big difference in one's ability to make good choices.