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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Students discover & develop personal strengths & skills
Study Skills
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Exec. Functioning Skills
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Life Skills
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X
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x
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Personal Finance
X
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Career Exploration
x
x
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Scroll right to see the entire chart.
Executive Functioning Skills
The Executive Functioning class focuses on intentional self-regulation, along with touching on all seven forms of executive functioning, which include:
adaptable thinking
Self-control
time management
working memory (for reasoning and decision making)
Organization
Planning
self-monitoring
Using multiple resources, the educator will encourage discussion and offer helpful tips to help students gain control and mastery in their everyday lives. The students will also be able to improve their day-to-day school and family life as we work in the following areas:
making schedules
creating a personal calendar
creating short, effective lists
tips to help our memory
understanding how our actions affect others
Study Skills
The Study Skills class will cover material to help students explore different methods, tools, and resources for studying well. Students will begin to identify their learning preferences using multiple senses,
organizing a study space
managing time
handling stress
Memorizing
taking notes
annotating and outlining
Researching
Proofreading
citing sources
preparing for tests.
Students will build their confidence as they build their study skills!
Life Skills
The Life Skills class will allow students to develop an understanding of the skills necessary for launching successfully as a young adult.
The sections of this one-year course are centered on three broad topics:
Making the most of your life
Life transitions
Preparing for your first job.
Units include:
Finding & Creating A Healthy Life Balance
Organizing Your Life -A deeper understanding of time management and how to prioritize for the best possible outcomes when life gets overwhelming.
Can You Afford to Leave Home? Students create a move-out budget & checklist,
Budgeting & Money Management – students create a sample budget & meal plan,
The Interview – students participate in a mock job interview experience.
Resume– Students complete a resume and cover letter
The Workplace Experience
Personal Finance
Personal Finance focuses on three key areas of money management:
How to make wise money choices now
How to make wise money choices in the future
How to prepare for financial independence
Lessons Included in Personal Finance:
College and Careers
Budgeting
Car Purchase Apartment Rental
Spouse Selection
Credit Cards and Interest
Baby & Payroll
House Purchase
Insurance
School Choice
Investments,
Business Basics
Layoffs and Reconciliations
Income Tax
The Dangers of Divorce
Retirement
Career Exploration
The Career Exploration Class takes students on a wonderful adventure of discovering themselves, their families, and possible career paths. It’s a must-take class in high school, given that students take 6 years to graduate from college, not 4, and graduate with an average of $37,000 in debt. Furthermore, many of our kids will have 7 vocations during the course of their working life. Preparing them in high school to understand their interests, skills, and family strengths and beginning to develop leadership skills will save them so much time and money throughout their life.
Students will identify the intersection of passions, interests, and the necessity of work.
Students will explore the difference between work and career and how both fit into their personal pathways.
Students will learn “How They Learn.”
Students will identify their strengths and weaknesses using a multitude of assessments.
Students will leave class with a Personal Pathway based on strengths, interests, passions, and gifting paired with real-world career exploration, utilizing the Holland Code.
The student will identify spheres of possibility instead of a single job or career.
Students will also create an occupational interest inventory.
It’s fall and the weather is crisp and glorious and perfect for a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Why not use this opportunity to teach your teens how to plan an event?
Event planning is a great way to build your teens’ executive functioning skills as it requires creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. These executive functioning skills are tools that will benefit themselves and others as they learn and grow.
While some kids will have natural abilities with these life skills, others will need to be shown a basic structure and be reminded more than once of how to put it into practice.
Event Planning is Easy When Using This Basic Structure
Name of Event:
Who
What
When
Where
How much
Follow Up Activities
Supporting books, films & YouTube Videos
Adding Goals Keeps Field Trips Focused
I also like to add in Goals for field trips. Goals can be as simple as, “have fun” and “fellowship” or more academic such as “to grow in our understanding of world politics”. Goals help keep us focused and can help us understand how much of an investment we want to make in terms of both time and money.
Extend the Learning With Follow-up Activities
Additionally, follow-up activities are a great way to extend the learning and fun! Again, simplicity can rule- – carve the pumpkin and roast the seeds; or simple events can turn into larger events- invite friends over for a fall potluck and bonfire!
Supporting books, films, and YouTube videos can preface the event, or be add-ons after the initial event, to extend learning opportunities.
Example of a Simple Plan Using the Basic Structure
Name of Event: Visit to the local Pumpkin Patch
Who Family and friends from co-op
What Trip to the local Pumpkin Patch
When October 2021
Where You Pick Pumpkin Patch; 45 min from home. Need water bottles, simple snacks, and shoes.
How Much $5 car, $10 for corn maze, $4 pumpkin, $4 Caramel apples, and $5 Gallons of cider- $45-50, not including gas.
Examples of Follow-up Activities:
Decorate your pumpkins: carve, paint, or permanent marker, depending on age.
Create a pumpkin vase for fall flowers
Roast pumpkin seeds (recipe below)
Roast pumpkin and make homemade pumpkin soup or pumpkin bread
Scoop seeds from pumpkin and clean well. Boil the seeds for 10 minutes; then toast them in the oven at 350 for approximately 20 min (watch so that they don’t burn).
For savory seeds, toss with a few teaspoons of garlic and rosemary, curry powder, or cilantro lime seasoning.
For a sweet and salty snack, dust with a pumpkin spice blend or cinnamon and sugar!
Pumpkin Spice Latte for Momma
Prep Time: 5 minutes, serving Size: 2
2 cups milk
1 cup very strong coffee (4 tablespoons coffee grounds to 1 cup of hot water)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-4 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
2 heaping spoonfuls of pumpkin
Pour all of the ingredients into a pot and heat over medium-high heat until the coffee is steaming hot. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream & cinnamon. Enjoy!
Event Planning Helps Your Teen & You!
Helping your teen grow their event planning muscles will help them handle projects that require multiple steps and follow through on the tasks assigned to them. It also develops soft skills that are so necessary for them to navigate in today’s world.
And while they are learning, they are helping you. It is important to enrich your family with fun activities that build memories but it can be time-consuming. It may take a couple of times overseeing what your teen is doing, but before you know it, you will be able to provide them with the resources and support they need and let them take some planning off your plate!
Parents choose to homeschool their children for a variety of very good reasons, and the evidence has proven that homeschooling and socialization aren’t at odds with the success of homeschooling. Let’s dive into some facts.
Homeschooling for Good Reason
If you’re considering homeschooling, you’ve likely come to that point for any number of good reasons:
a desire to transmit a culture or worldview to your child
academic opportunity
build a strong family unit
traveling sports
the opportunity to involve your child in entrepreneurship
travel or RV life
special needs or twice-exceptional child
a child has been bullied
safety not found in public schools
the cost of private schooling
Isn’t Homeschooling and Socialization Important?
Yes, it is. But, how do we actually define socialization? Is it only peer-to-peer interaction? Or is it reasonable to define socialization as the ability to be social with individuals from all ages and walks of life?
So, when we talk about homeschooling and socialization, what are we really talking about? What are we actually being asked?
Socialization or Accommodation
There may be a true concern from some about the child’s ability to interact with others. Actually, what may be being asked is how well-adjust the child might be to the ways of the world. Are they accommodating? Will they bend to the demands of the culture at large?
Homeschoolers with vision have something else in mind. They do want to pass on a culture, but not the one the world hands them. At True North Homeschool Academy we believe that Education is the Transmission of Culture. We are coming from a decidedly Judeo-Christian point of view. We are people of the Book.
So, why then do we care about socialization? We care because socialization helps us with our most important given task, to share the Gospel.
Life Skills, Soft Skills,
Now, this doesn’t mean we’re raising little missionaries in the traditional sense. It means “always being ready to give an answer for the hope that we have.” So, what kind of socialization do we need to have in order to make an impact for the Kingdom? Two things: life skills and soft skills.
Life Skills are the building blocks of knowing what to do and how to do it in our personal life. Learning these things requires a level of socialization. We do by seeing others do. We apprentice. And we are an apprentice to others.
Think of how Jesus apprenticed to his earthly father, Joseph. Ponder how that prepared him for the task given him. Life skills are essential.
Soft Skills are those personal attributes that allow us to interact well with others, allowing us to have peaceful and healthy relationships.
They are also known as power skills or personality traits. Soft skills are those skills that everyone seems to understand implicitly. They are related to manners and social moves. For kids with learning disabilities, however, soft skills can be elusive and confusing. This is the art and science of socialization!
And this type of socialization is necessary for every single person, including homeschoolers. As homeschoolers, we have to be able to think creatively and critically to communicate with the world around us. As Christians, this is essential in sharing the Gospel and helping others find True North.
Finding True North
In a nutshell, this is the entire point of socialization – the ability to transmit truth and help others find their hope in Christ, their True North.
Education is the perfect companion to this socialization, but it doesn’t have to take place in a traditional school setting where peer-to-peer socialization is the measure of successful socialization.
We are called to give an answer (defense) for what we believe with gentleness and respect. This goes beyond mere logic (though we do love our Logic!) and relies on the soft skill of communicating with creativity, clarity, and grace.
That’s socialization homeschoolers can feel good about.
Preparing Your Kids for Socialization
Homeschooling is more than school at home, it’s the school at the heart of the home. And this is such a great opportunity to embrace training in socialization for the Gospel.
True North Homeschool Academy is committed to equipping and nurturing parents as they educate their children. We believe that Education is the Transmission of Culture and are coming from a decidedly Judeo-Christian point of view. We are people of the Book.
So, how can we help? We have the only small-class, live, dynamic education platform designed for homeschoolers on a mission.
True North Homeschool Academy teachers are a group of passionate, qualified, creative educators providing carefully curated Core Courses and Clubs, delivered by utilizing cutting-edge technology, gamification, and solid academic pedagogy. We understand the unique challenges and opportunities of homeschooling.
Providing more than academics, we give our students the opportunity to develop wisdom. They collaborate and learn with students from around the world. A perfect setting to socialize in a way homeschool parents can trust.
Did you ever think that you are the answer to the world’s leadership crisis? Yes, you! You can change the world by raising motivated leaders in your home school.
At every age, these secrets work to build leaders.
Secret #1: Integrity Matters
Beyond punishment for dishonesty, reward your children when they are honest, singing their praises. When they do the right thing, shout it from the housetops so they know you are proud of them. Make it more important in your eyes than a home run or a great test score. Value integrity and model for your kids that it is a value worth living!
Secret #2: Leaders are Motivated Learners
Provide opportunities for your sons and daughters to pursue learning about things that delight their hearts. If your son loves archery, do a unit study on the Middle Ages. If your daughter loves horses, let her science class be an independent study on horses and how to care for them.
Model enthusiasm for learning by reading and researching. Let your kids know you love to learn.
Secret #3: Leaders Lead
Give your children and teens opportunities to lead. They don’t have to plan the family vacation on their own, but they could plan family night once a month or choose what color to paint the bathroom.
Give them access to the decision-making protocol in your house. Let them have a voice and participate in the final direction your family takes—at least once in a while.
Cultivate a heart for others, especially younger children, the elderly, and those less fortunate. When your family is observant—seeing needs and taking positive steps to meet them, you are also cultivating that heart in your children year after year.
Leaders lead because they care about others. When my daughter realized a homeschool dad who was going back for his degree needed help with College Algebra, she offered to tutor him. She saw a need and met the need.
Logical thinking is a great tool for your future leaders. True North offers Formal Logic focused on the structural validity of arguments and Informal Logic where students study and master 29 logical fallacies. These high school courses are great options for your future leader.
When we think of a leader, we tend to think of someone charismatic, smart, and a “take charge” – that go-to person in any situation. We look at a leader as someone with know-how (hard skills), but I can tell you – it’s also someone with soft skills. Leadership and soft skills go hand-in-hand.
What are Soft Skills?
Soft Skills are those personal attributes that allow us to interact well with others and have peaceful and healthy relationships.
They are also known as power skills or personality traits. Soft skills are those skills that everyone seems to understand implicitly. They are related to manners and social moves. For kids with learning disabilities, however, soft skills can be elusive and confusing.
4 C’s of a Soft Skills Education.
These would include:
Collaboration- Collaboration is better known as teamwork. Can you lead, follow, and interact maturely with other team members? Do you problem-solve and handle your own emotions well, or are you causing problems for others on your team? Do you understand the team hierarchy well? Are you willing to lead, follow, and get out of the way? All of these skills go into being a good team player, at different times and in various seasons. A good team player,
Communication- Employers are currently stressing the need for students to have excellent communication skills, including the ability to persuade by written and spoken communication. In particular, they want to hire those who can “sell” (i.e., persuade) both orally and using the written word.
Critical Thinking- Employers are currently stressing the need for students to have excellent communication skills, including the ability to persuade by written and spoken communication. In particular, they want to hire those who can “sell” (i.e., persuade) both orally and using the written word.
Creativity- Creativity is all about thinking outside the box, generating new ideas or tweaking old ones to fit new situations, and interacting with materials, people, and resources in unique ways.
These soft skills are essential tools in the leadership toolbag.
Leadership is the ability to research and prepare for what’s ahead and to lead, guide, or instruct a group or individuals, teams, or organizations.
Increasingly we want our children to step up and lead when called upon, especially in the world we currently live in. We want them to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
They don’t need charisma; they need that internal ability to govern themselves and lead by example, be willing to speak up, and encourage others to be leaders in difficult situations.
Preparing for Leadership with Soft Skills
Preparing tomorrow’s leaders starts with soft skills. One of the most important soft skills is the art of persuasion.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to explain your point of view to someone, especially in today’s online environment, you can see just how important this skill is.
One skill that current employers find is finding lacking in new hires is the ability to sell. With the constant shorthand of texting and 9-second tik-toks and reels, the fine art of Persuasion is being lost. Why is the ability to sell so important? What are some ways that parents can help their kids develop this skill?
Grab your free ticket! Join some of your favorite homeschool speakers and leaders as we strive to raise leaders in this generation.
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