18 Rock Solid Summer Jobs for Teens that Build Skills and Confidence

Summer jobs and teens go together like sun and sand!  Getting a summer job can teach your teens o many wonderful life skills. Life skills such as communication, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and more! Not to mention building their savings account and giving them a sense of independence as they have their own money with which to make choices. 

Education With a Difference

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True North Academy offers live, dynamic classes taught by world-class teachers in small class sizes — fully Cognia-accredited, with transcripts and advising to help your student arrive prepared for the future.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of great summer jobs for your tweens and teens!

Head to Camp!

Summer camp is such a magical place for kids and teens! If your teen loves the outdoors, and helping kids they should consider working at a camp. Depending on their age, they can be a  Jr or Sr Camp Counselor, cook, janitor, help with Admin and even work on the maintenance crew. Church, Scout, and Family Camps are a great place to start! 

Chick-fil-A

Who doesn’t love God’s chicken? All kidding aside, their food is good, the store is always clean, and the employees are always so kind and courteous. More to the point, their leadership is incredible, and your kids can learn a lot about customer service and serving with a humble heart by working at Chick-fil a. And if Chick-fil-A isn’t hiring, other fast food joints usually are. 

 Lifeguard

If your teen loves all things outdoors and is a competent swimmer, have them consider lifeguarding. They get to hang out around pools, keep the world of water recreation safe and make some money while doing it. Some things to keep in mind with this job is that it is very serious business and your teen needs to understand that they might be saving someone’s life that summer. Also, there will be CPR and lifeguarding classes and certifications they will need to get at the beginning of the season as well.

online entrepreneurship class for homeschoolers

Give Your Kids the Gift of Freedom!

Learning Entrepreneurial skills will be useful throughout your teen’s life, particularly in the global, gig economy in which they’ll be working! Our 1 semester class gives your kids practical, applicable, marketable tools to equip them for success! Shark Tank challenges make True North Academy’s Entrepreneurship class a engaging win for everyone!

Water Safety Instructor

If your teen is already a lifeguard, have them go a step further and obtain their WSI -Water Safety Instructor Certification. This will allow them to teach swimming and it’s a great way to work at camps, as well as pools, year-round. 

Movie Theater Attendant

If your teen enjoys a good movie and the smell of popcorn in the air, then working at your local movie theater is a great option. From popping corn to taking tickets, there are a myriad of jobs,  but all are geared towards helping movie-goers have a fantastic experience.

Snow Cone Stand Attendant

Nothing says summer quite like snow cones, right?! Right around April, our snow cone trailers start popping, and you know summer is almost here. The soft ice, the sugary syrup on the snow cone, and in the air of the summer breeze; it’s a winning combination! If your teen likes people, is super nice, and enjoys delighting others with sugary goodness in a cup – the snow cone stand attendee is for them!

Theme Park Attendant

Snow cones and theme parks. Yep. Summer has also arrived when the theme parks open.  With theme parks being so large, there are usually quite a few different jobs they can choose from.  From ticket taker to funnel cake maker and everything in between, including singing and dancing!  This job will more than likely call for late hours, but if they really enjoy the environment at theme parks, it’s a win.

Landscaper

Landscapers are generally super busy during the summer months and can use extra help. This job is demanding and requires physical strength and mental stamina as most landscapers do hardscaping as well.. Kids who work for landscapers work hard, haul heavy stuff and get down and dirty. Besides all that, the pay is generally very good and your kids might develop muscles they didn’t know they had! 

Lawn Maintenance

Encourage your kids to open their own mowing business. We have known several homeschooling families who have created incredible micro businesses out of simply mowing lawns, doing simple planting and weed control. Encourage your kids  to use their summer free time to create a simple business plan, make and pass out flyers around your neighborhood and do a great job on the homes that hire them. It could lead to steady income long past the summertime and even lead into a snow removal service. 

Golf Caddy

Another fun outdoor job to consider is being a golf caddy at your local country club or golfing range.  If they know the sport of golf well, they are even better. If they are new to golf, encourage them to learn the rules of the game as they wait for their interview.

Referee/Umpire

Does your teen enjoy and understand the rules and nuances of sports?  Have them consider being a referee/umpire for summer sports! They’ll get paid while they keep in shape and provide wonderful summer experiences for other kids!

Career Exploration for high school students | online class

Career Exploration (formerly titled Orienteering) focuses on vocational and career exploration. Students will understand their strengths, challenges, and more as they prepare to launch as adults in a complex, digital, and fast-changing world!

  • Students will leave class with a Personal Pathway based on strengths, interests, passions, and gifting paired with real-world career exploration.
  • The student will identify spheres of possibility instead of a single job or career.
  • Students will also create an occupational interest inventory.

More Summer Jobs for Kids

Grocery Baggers/Cashier/ Shopper

I don’t know about y’all, but our local grocery store will do the grocery shopping for us. We download the app, pay and then we let them know that we are there, and they will bring it out to our car. Grocery shoppers go around the store with a digital list and a large cart and grocery shop. And of course, there is still the bagger and cashier option as a job as well.

Birthday Party Entertainment

Has your teen always loved to dress up and create events? If so, you might encourage your teen to go be the entertainment at parties as characters from movies and books. They could create their own business or join a company already offering those services. If creating their own, of course, make fliers for your community, but also, I would recommend they tap into their babysitting network as well.

Tutor

Does your teen want to be a teacher or enjoy helping others learn subjects? Then maybe they should consider being a tutor. This, again, maybe one of those entrepreneurship opportunities where they announce on the community board and put a flier up at church sharing what ages and subjects they are helping tutor this summer. They can make their own hours and can meet in places like the local library to do the job or even on Zoom. 

 Nanny

There is always a high demand for nannies during the summer.  In many families, both parents work, and they need your teen’s help!  Have them search the local community boards and papers for possible nanny opportunities for the summer. 

Dog Walker 

If your teen enjoys dogs and wants to get their steps in for the summer, being the community dog walker is just the trick. If they would prefer to work for someone else, they might consider talking to the local vet or animal shelter and see if they are hiring part-time workers for the summer.

House Sitter

For older teens, being a house sitter is freedom! You would need to decide if you were comfortable with them staying at the home by themselves while the owners are gone or if you would prefer, they can just visit the house daily to take care of animals and water plants.  Either way, they get out of the house each day doing work for money.

Sales 

You are never too young to learn to sell; it’s an important skill that will benefit your kids regardless of what vocation they eventually go into. Tweens and teens can sell online or through local boutiques at local Swaps and Craft Fairs. They can sell items of their own making or purchase items to mark up and re-sell. 

Summertime is a great time for your kids to dive into the world of paid work. Not only will they earn spending money or money to invest, but they’ll gain valuable life skills! 

Resources

Check out FREE the SMART Goals printable worksheet.

Be sure to check out our other Marketable Skills Classes: Accounting, Copywriting Electronics, Video Editing, Photography and Digital Tech and Entrepreneurship! These classes will save you both time and money and take your young adult farther, faster!

Unbelievable Risks of Homeschooling Your Kids

Unbelievable Risks of Homeschooling Your Kids

Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids?

Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids?  What are the unbelievable risks of homeschooling your kids? It’s a question that gets asked by many new homeschoolers.

I like definitions, so let’s start there.

To ruin means to destroy or cause to disintegrate.

And since I’m assuming you are not a violent criminal posing as a homeschooler, let’s just take that off the table. So, the short answer is, “No,” you won’t ruin your kids by homeschooling them.

But even beyond that, homeschooling can have countless positive benefits.

For one thing, the individualized attention your child receives and the ability to tailor the curriculum to fit their interests and learning styles is unmatched. Add to that the flexibility of homeschooling, and you’ve got a recipe for success that would be hard to replicate in any other setting.

Plus, homeschooling creates opportunities to learn in any setting. You can take field trips and visit museums and libraries with greater frequency. You can also customize the entire learning experience to suit the way your child learns best. This allows kids to receive the education they need while simultaneously investing in their emotional and social development.

So, no, homeschooling won’t ruin your kids – on the contrary, it could very well open up a world of learning experiences that they may not have been able to access while in a conventional school setting.

BUT.

You will mold and shape them. And like all human interaction, it could go one of three ways.

  1. Really well
  2. Poorly
  3. Combo of really well and poorly

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but homeschooling is just a method of intentional education and parenting. It’s not a perfect method, it’s not foolproof or failsafe. We are imperfect, passionate people who are raising imperfect, passionate people, so the room for wild success and failure is vast.

But, like many things, there are things that you can do to ensure a more positive than negative outcome.

The key is to be intentional in creating a learning plan that’s specific to your child’s needs, interests, and goals.

Take the time to delve into how your child learns best and how to apply those principles in day-to-day education. Additionally, it’s important to find a balance between educational elements and self-care, such as rest, relaxation, and recreation.

Finally, remember to be patient and flexible — like with most things in parenting, there will be missteps, but with a supportive and intentional environment, there will be many more successes.

  • You can choose an educational pedagogy that has been successful throughout the ages- not all education is created equal.
  • You can choose quality literature, movies, and music – the old Sunday School song that admonishes, “Be Careful little eyes what you see, etc.” is so appropriate for child-rearing.
  • You can choose to study- really study and wrestle and run after- your faith with your children.
  • You can pray.
  • You can partner with other like-minded people going in the same direction educationally and in life. True North, baby.

Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids? I hear you, still asking and wondering!

But look. Even if you do all the “right” things -whatever that means- like you never get sick, discouraged, have financial difficulties or in-laws who undermine you or a bad hair day- your kids and you might will make mistakes, be oppositional or go in the wrong direction. Maybe just slightly off track and maybe so off base, you wonder if either one of you will survive.

Us Mommas have a tough time with these kids living their own lives.

They are our hearts, walking around outside of our bodies, and we love them so. And when they suffer, we suffer. And homeschooling allows us to get to know each other really well, our strengths and our weaknesses, our joys, and our sufferings.

And maybe that all sounds discouraging, but it’s just messy. Because people are messy. Your kids need an education. Who better to provide that education than their loving parents? It’s Biblical.

It’s the way of the wealthy, educated elite: providing private, individualized instruction. And you have an investment in your kids in a way no one else will.

Maybe you are not as equipped as you feel that you need to be, but honestly, that is easy to remedy by the following:

  • Find a great educational pedagogy and the resources YOUR family needs to succeed*
  • Find a tribe of like-minded travelers*
  • Do the work homeschooling requires
  • Have FUN and enjoy the fabulous journey that homeschooling can provide you and your precious children

Will homeschooling ruin your kids? The short easy answer is No.

Will Homeschooling Ruin My Kids? The more complex, realistic answer is you will struggle, work, cry, and experience joy. It is worth it.

*Need help? Our Academic Advising might be just the answer.

Celebrate 4th of July!

Certain Holidays get celebrated big time at our house, and the 4th of July is one of them! We love this country and the principles it was founded on. But we don’t consider ourselves proud Americans- more like grateful Americans. We had the opportunity to choose our education, vocation, spouse, faith, location, and lifestyle. Is it any wonder that people are clamoring to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave?

So, yep, we celebrate by decorating the house with red, white, and blue buntings that look about perfect on our 100-year-old house, along with Old Glory flying, friends to celebrate with and fun to be had by all!

Family recipes, activities and traditions are an important part of every holiday – here are some of ours!

Good Food

  • Grilled Chicken or Flank Steak, marinated in soy sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and a ton of cilantro.Celebrate 4th of July
  • Deviled Eggs: My deviled eggs are de rigor for holidays and perfect as is. Peeled boiled eggs, sliced in half. Smash yolks with real mayonnaise and mustard to taste.  Set egg white halves on your beautiful carnival ware deviled egg plate, and spoon the generous yolk mixture into each half. Sprinkle with paprika and enjoy. Perfection!
  • Veggie Tray: all the veggies. Sour cream with Spike and lots of Dill if you want a dip.
  • All the Fruit is in a scooped-out watermelon half. Get fancy and scallop the edges if you want.
  • A beautiful charcuterie tray
  • And Cheesecake, with berries and a swirl of chocolate, or topped with berries, like ours!
  • Easy Punch: Grape juice with 7up and Lemonade and lots of ice, because we can our own grape juice every year and it’s just part of the summer holidays. Serve in pint-sized mason jars, of course.
Celebrate 4th of July!

Celebrate with Good Fun!

We often spend the afternoons doing target practice and then eat. When everyone is full and just schmoozing, everyone gathers together and my husband reads the Declaration of Independence out loud.

We take time to read the signers’ names. It’s sobering. These men, and their families, were willing to give up so much for an ideal. An ideal that we have all reaped the benefit of. I am grateful to each one of them for their vision and willingness to sacrifice for the long view.

Declaration of Independence

Reading the Declaration of Independence used to be the main focus of Independence Day celebrations in small towns across America. A national remembrance and vision casting for who we were and are as a country. It’s worth re-visiting annually. As one of my favorite pastors, Skip Heitzig says, “Truth needs a memory”.

Laura Ingalls Wilder writes about the importance of reading the Declaration of Independence as they celebrated the 4th of July, (she and her sisters have it memorized, of course) and the natural law on which this country is founded!

Fireworks & Savings!

And then comes the fireworks. We live in a state that allows fireworks and our property is situated so that we have an entire valley to light up.

At True North Academy, we appreciate and celebrate Faith, Family, and Freedom. In celebration of this great country, we are offering a store-wide sale. Thanks for standing with us, in appreciation for this sweet land of liberty!

My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee, I sing…

Long may our land be bright

With Freedom’s holy light.

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God, our King!

More About Freedom & Our Nation’s History

If you’d like to learn more about the values that our country was founded on, check out Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, taught by Adam Pruzan. Classes are filling up and we can’t always add a second section, so take advantage of our last sale of the year and sign up now for a live online class where the students and teacher engage in discussions about our heritage.

This is the perfect time of year to tune in and listen to our five-part Podcast Series  Authentic Values which speaks directly to the ideals upon which this country was founded. Download these episodes and add some learning to your summer road trips!

More About the SALE

And stay tuned to all our social media accounts for more information about our sitewide 5% off sale. It is the last sale before our True North Academy Classes begin on August 22! You’ll want to be on our mailing list to grab your coupon code! Subscribe here:

History Classes

  • The American story — its founding ideas, its turning points, and how to think about it well. Three live classes: Civics, American History, and the founding documents.
    American Studies Pathway
    $1,678.65
  • This project-based art history course invites students to explore the story of art through the lens of a Christian worldview. Covering major artistic periods from ancient civilizations to modern movements, students will study how artists throughout history have wrestled with questions of truth, beauty, worship, identity, culture, and human purpose.
    Art History
    $129.00
  • Homeschooled high schoolers in a live online American history class at True North Academy, learning through film and the foods of each era.
    Forks & Film: An American History Journey
    $679.00
  • Explore the modern era through powerful stories that bring world history to life. This middle school course uses a narrative approach to help students understand the people, events, and ideas that shaped the modern world.
    Modern World History: Stories That Shaped Our World
    $579.00
  • Journey across the sparkling Mediterranean Sea and explore the dynamic cultures, landscapes, and natural wonders of Southern Europe! In this interactive online expedition, students will “travel” through Greece, Italy, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Basin—uncovering the geography, history, and science that shaped some of the world’s most influential civilizations.
    Epic Expeditions: Southern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin
    $409.00
  • Pack your virtual backpacks and get ready for a cross-country adventure! In this exciting online expedition course, students will explore the breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and real-world science of America’s National Parks. Each week, we “travel” to a new park and uncover its unique geography, ecosystems, cultural stories, and conservation challenges.
    Epic Expeditions: National Park Expedition (Fall)
    $409.00
  • Explore how geography shaped world empires in this 6-week high school elective. Perfect for grades 9–12, students will map ancient civilizations, trace trade routes, and analyze how land influenced history. 0.25 credit in Social Studies or Geography.
    Geography of World Empires
    $59.00
  • Epic Expeditions: History, Geography & Culture Uncovered
    Epic Expeditions: History, Geography & Culture Uncovered
    $409.00
  • Rediscover the essential truths that have shaped the United States through live, interactive online classes with Mrs. Jeanette Whittaker.
    Foundations of American Liberty and Government
    $679.00
Homeschooling and the Power of Boredom

Homeschooling and the Power of Boredom

As summer rapidly approaches, the likelihood of hearing that ominous word—boredom—grows increasingly probable. I learned to carefully avoid this word around my parents in my youth, as it typically meant being given a long list of chores. Our summers involved mostly outdoor activities: riding bikes, woodland exploration, and swimming—with a bit of reading thrown in on rainy days. Our family often had one vacation in the summer, with destinations chosen by my parents based on their interests and tastes, not mine. This was the norm, and it worked.

Modern Parents and the Boredom Principle

It’s safe to say that modern parents appear more obliged to provide the bored child with incessant vacations, camps, and activities to assuage their boredom than previous generations, which begs the question: is boredom a bad thing?

When I was pregnant with my first child, I read a book on childhood brain development for a continuing education credit for my social work licensure. I wish I could recall the text now, but I do remember that the author was emphatic that denying children of downtime—time to be bored—affects them in two significant ways. The first is less creativity, which was no surprise, but the second point was a bit of an epiphany for me. They also struggle to develop clear values and a subsequent moral structure. 

Recently I was reminded of that book while listening to a TED Talk on boredom. Experts agree that free time and daydreaming are essential parts of childhood brain development. Over-scheduled children denied the time to reflect and be creative are not only starving their brains but wrestle with issues of moral ambiguity and difficulty solving problems. Sound familiar? Not to mention that modern children now possess devices that continually entertain and occupy their thoughts—regardless of what the calendar says. Modern science concurs on the subject of boredom with that 20-year-old textbook.

Building Quiet Time Into Your Day

Consequently, as soon as my children were old enough, I built mandatory quiet time into our daily schedule. Each day, my children were required to spend one hour alone in their rooms, where they did not talk, watch TV, or engage with any technology. Total silence. They were allowed to exercise, read, do crafts, build Legos, or anything creative, but they were not to do schoolwork. This was their time to pray, ponder, meditate, be mindful, daydream, analyze, stargaze, imagine, and think deeply.

We had a few more fun things on the schedule when summer approached than when I was a kid. We had a pool, so we had friends over quite a bit. The kids were allowed to pick one day-camp activity, such as horse or robotics camp, and sometimes we would go camping. Otherwise, we expected our kids to ride their bikes, explore the woods, and swim—with reading thrown in on rainy days. If they made the mistake of telling me they were bored, I always had a list of chores or projects handy, and I resisted the urge to fill in the blank spaces on our family calendar.

The Biggest Benefit of Boredom

What happened most was they built tree forts and mud pies and dammed our creek. They went berry picking. They colored pictures at the picnic table. They played with the dog and cat. They played kickball. They pitched a tent in the backyard. They helped me dig weeds in the garden or lay on blankets watching clouds, trying to find cartoon characters in the shapes.

They deliberated internally on their actions, observations, and experiences. They had an epiphany or two, which we would sometimes discuss over their bedtime prayers, and which helped solidify their values. They also had some of the most creative ideas! Through the power of boredom, they nurtured their brain development and pondered what was essential and what kind of people they hoped to be.

Parents, don’t waste the boredom! Instead, recognize it for the opportunity that it is and watch the great things your children will accomplish.

 

Postscript: 

If you would like to watch that TED Talk on boredom, here is a link:

Ted Talk on Boredom Link

Grab our FUN Summer Bucket List– perfect for summer days!

 

About Angie

Mrs. Ferrell lives in southwestern Ohio with her husband of 23 years, her youngest child, and several pets.  Mrs. Ferrell has many hobbies, including gardening, bicycling, quilting, photography, writing, and curriculum development. She is an avid reader and in constant pursuit of new challenges.

The Thief

We only know about him because he held the unique and dishonorable distinction of being a thief, and one who was caught at that. He died in disgrace, poverty and agony. He was tortured, crucified and died.

Thieves often come under cover of darkness, in confusion, or perhaps on social media; places where they can easily hide and are rarely called out. And thieves- they can be so compelling. They are often masters of disguise, presenting themselves as one thing all the while working underhandedly to steal and destroy. Thieves are con artists- they are the masters at bait and switch. I would venture that many unwitting, well meaning people have handed over that which further damns the thief to their ultimate demise. Thieves are, by definition jealous people who are not content with their lot in life and perhaps even work to destroy that which they claim they now want or was taken from them.

The well known thief on the cross probably worked under cover of night, or in secrecy, or in a crowd, but died in broad daylight, exposed and disgraced. 

We’ve all done it. Shared that juicy tidbit, been outraged by accusations, shocked at what we’ve just heard. In fact, I would venture to say that a good thief- one has honed their craft- is subtle enough to tweak the facts just so, so that the we see a bit of truth in the claims, “Ah yes, I always knew he was demanding- I see how he’s a bully,”  But few – if any of us- actually go to the person who is the true victim of thief’s crime to seek truth. Reacting to a claim takes little from us. Acting as a Chrsitian takes everything.

But let’s be honest, we are all thieves. Each one of us. We’ve all claimed what wasn’t ours, been jealous and petty, said a little – or big lie- to justify our own sin. Projected onto others so that we are not discovered. We’ve all taken something precious and destroyed it. We’ve all defiled the purity and holiness of the Living God; stolen from others and bankrupt them; stolen from ourselves and defiled what and who are called to do and be. 

 We are all thieves, hanging on the cross- disgraced, found out, naked and exposed. 

Some of us proudly jut out our chins and die, sealing our fate. Others of us accept the free give of mercy and salvation and recognize that the man in the middle holds the power of life and death with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. His arms- stretched out on the cross- nailed there in humiliation – have the power of life and death, hell or resurrection.

We are all thieves. And we can all look to the  Man in the middle. It’s not too late- whether we are successful in our thieving or  exposed. Either way, the Living Christ is the truth holder and knows of our  disgrace, death, corruption,  jealousy, bitterness and hate. 

The one hanging there is the middle- HE is the Living Christ. He offers the free gift of salvation to all who believe. He has raised the dead to life- each one of us- dead in our transgressions, if you only look to Him and believe!  Alleluia!