My son is a lifeguard on post and has been able to squeeze in hours around baseball. He also mows lawns to get extra cash. While this demands EXTREME advance planning and again,..EXTREMELY patient and flexible employers, we have found it to be good for our son to work around his baseball/football seasons.
Doesnt leave alot of time for the girlfriend ( oh darn says the momma- ha! )and other extra curricular activities,..but it keeps him busy and organized. Top that off with studies during the school year and you've got one busy junior in highschool. He's maturing,... has learned a heck of alot about time managemnet and about making important priority decisions.
Also gives him alot of pride to buy some things on his own,..especially when birthdays or holidays come around and he doesnt have to ask mom and dad for cash. Loves to buy things for others on his own dime, seems to mean more to him than if we just handed the moolah over to him.
Being a military family we are always on a budget ( a tight one ).
Amazing how creative a kid can get about finding the shortest route he can take to drive to school and back,...just to save on gas!
Noticed he was even checking out gas prices and shopping for the best bargain for his hard earned buck. Even though financially we have never demanded that our boys work,..they simply wanted to. As long as their grades are good and we can tell that they are living a balanced life,..I'd say their working along with participating in sports has been a very good thing and has provided them with a sense of self and ability.
And not to mention, the real value of a hard earned dollar!