Being protective about your children is natural. But are you protecting them too much? Do you judge parents who encourage their high school children to work? Even if you and your spouse earn good money, allowing your children to work while going to high school full time is a useful life experience for them. With so many job opportunities available online these days, your children will find something to their liking. Here are some ideas to consider:
1. Tutoring younger kids
There’s definitely at least one subject that your children may be strong in. Why not take advantage of their knowledge and encourage them to share it with other kids? Today, many parents on a budget look for high school or college students to tutor their kids.
There are also some tutoring companies who accept high school students who excel at certain subjects. They pay hourly, depending on the subject. Math and foreign languages are usually the priciest, albeit any subject will help your children make great money for a little amount of work.
2. Offering services online
Websites like Fiverr are an excellent way for high school students worldwide to earn extra cash while doing what they are passionate about. Writing, commenting, proofreading, programming, making videos and presentations are just a few options to consider. The gigs start at $5, but the price can increase over time, depending on how smart your children are.
3. Selling DIY stuff
If your children are good at drawing, painting, knitting, origami, or sewing, help them put their talent to good use. Whether they make cute DIY fashion items like earrings and bracelets, DIY decorations, or homemade soaps and candles, selling it can become a source of steady monthly income. They can sell their crafts online or organize a yard sale once in a while.
4. Selling eBooks
If your children have a special skill for writing and are keen on writing fiction, comics, and non-fiction stories, encourage them to write short e-books and sell them online. Amazon is a popular place for eBooks. There are many people who make a living selling eBooks, so why not give it a try?
5. Blogging
If eBook writing doesn’t sound exciting, blogging is perfect for high school students who enjoy writing. You don’t need to spend money on your child’s blog, you can start one for free. Sure, if you want to make it look more professional, you will need to invest in it. But for starters, get your high school child who loves writing involved in simple blogging.
Blogging isn’t a quick way to earn a lot of money, but your child can benefit from advertising or selling their crafts through their blogs. Once the blog attracts more readers, your child will start making a decent amount of money that could help them cover some college expenses.
6. Selling Photos
Children like to take pictures so if yours are great photographers, help them sell their photos online. There are many stock photo websites like Shutterstock or Istockphoto that are always on the lookout for new contributors. Each time someone buys a photo, you get paid.
7. Mystery Shopping
Many companies hire high school students as mystery shoppers to secretly test the customer service standards of their stores and whether they follow all the necessary company guidelines. If your children have time and the desire and are willing to travel around town, mystery shopping could bring great side money.
8. Gardening
From planting flowers and trees to mowing lawns, gardening is a lot of fun, especially for your high school children. Allow them to offer their gardening services to neighbours, relatives, etc. It seems like a hard job but in reality, it’s not. It’s a healthy way to make extra money. Remember, gardening boasts plenty of health benefits too.
9. Housesitting
It’s not cleaning someone’s house once a week. It’s staying overnight or for a certain period of time in someone’s house, while the hosts go for a vacation or are out of town. It may also involve walking a dog, shopping, car washing and locking up the doors and garages. Depending on the season, it can also include mowing grass, cleaning up fall leaves, and shoveling snow. However, this job is for highly responsible high school students. If you are not sure about yours, it’s best to skip this idea.
10. Repairing gadgets
Are your children tech savvy? They can make extra cash by repairing other people’s gadgets. There are many people who need help with their new gadgets, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. We don’t usually take money for this job, but why not? The service charges are rather high at the professional repair stores. Your kids could do it for much lesser and provide this service at the doorstep.
11. Event Promotion
Extrovert children can make good cash over a single weekend by promoting someone else’s events. The main job requirement is to be outgoing and superbly active. It doesn’t require a long-term commitment, so when your children are busy with school, they can simply take a break. Look for event promotion vacancies on job websites and in your local classifieds. From club events to concerts to big festivals, the possibilities are endless.
12. Retail Jobs
If your high school child is looking for a part-time job, a mall or retail job is a wonderful option for them. Not only is this job easy, but it will provide your child with tons of special offers, including merchandise discounts. But they will only make minimum salary, while also dealing with unhappy customers and working on weekends. Do weigh the pros and cons and consider this only if your child can handle it well.
13. Transcribing
This job requires good listening skills, excellent grammar, and speed. There are many websites that look for students who can transcribe audio to text. The payment isn’t too high, but will be enough for your children’s wallets.
Your high school child does not have to wait until he or she gets a diploma to earn their first paycheck. Let them get a job while they are studying to gain some experience and improve your family budget. But do make sure that it does not affect their studies and don’t forget to teach them to save and spend their money smartly.