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I got my first job in fast food when I was just 15. Due to child labor laws, my hours were limited, and my tenure was short-lived, as we relocated two months into my job. However, I quickly learned the ins and outs of the food service industry. While my employer provided a uniform, I had to buy slip-resistant shoes, a purchase that strained my family’s budget. After every shift, I returned home with sore feet, greasy clothes, and skin covered in oil mixed with youthful perspiration. I endured steam burns, bruises from slips, and brief snack breaks that hardly felt adequate.
Despite the challenges, I quickly jumped back into the fast-food workforce after moving, ready to experience it all over again for another three years. I’m not complaining, though. My time in the food industry during high school and college taught me invaluable skills: how to handle difficult coworkers and customers, the importance of patience, and the necessity of balancing work with school and extracurricular activities. My colleagues and I often supported each other by switching shifts and picking up extra hours.
For me, working in high school was not a luxury but a necessity. My parents couldn’t give me the pocket money to enjoy outings or buy the things my friends owned. If I wanted a new stereo or CDs, I had to save every single penny. Even with a job, it was a struggle to afford post-performance meals at Big Boy or snacks before practice, all while earning less than $6.00 an hour on minimum wage in the ‘90s.
Many argue against raising the federal minimum wage by claiming teenagers don’t need $15 an hour. They ask why teenagers should earn that much, implying that children without a high school diploma shouldn’t receive a “living wage.” However, as someone who has taught teenagers for nearly two decades and as a parent of two pre-teens soon entering the workforce, I find it increasingly hard to accept that teens don’t deserve a higher minimum wage.
My parents didn’t give me a choice; I had to work. Two of my sisters followed me into fast food jobs as they entered high school. We all understood that we needed to work for anything we wanted since our parents couldn’t afford to just hand it to us. As we approached college, we were saving for books and other expenses, which our minimum wage jobs barely covered. Paying for tuition on less than $5.50 an hour was nothing short of impossible.
While my husband and I are in a better financial position than my parents were back then, we still believe our children should work in high school to help with future expenses like cars and cell phones, and eventually college. We value the lessons work brings in terms of financial responsibility and independence. The reality is that the current minimum wage simply isn’t enough for teens to reach these goals.
We recognize that our kids are the “lucky” ones; we want them to be financially independent, but we are not reliant on their wages. Unfortunately, that is not the case for the 41 percent of American teenagers living in low-income households, 19 percent of whom live in poverty. For these young people, earning a living wage is crucial for supporting their own needs and those of their families.
Give teenagers more spending power, and they will utilize it. Under the current federal minimum wage, a teenager must work two hours just to afford a movie ticket, an entire day for decent shoes, and at least 70 hours to cover a semester’s worth of college textbooks. We haven’t even touched on how many hours are needed to buy a car, pay for insurance, and fuel it.
Most teenagers will tell you they work for reasons beyond trivial luxuries. These jobs are often a necessity or a means to achieving their dreams. They take minimum wage roles because they lack the qualifications, skills, and experience for better-paying positions. Many of these jobs are physically and emotionally demanding, and teens frequently endure mistreatment from customers and even supervisors. From my experience teaching teenagers for almost 20 years, I know that when you show them respect and confidence, rewarding their hard work, they often exceed expectations. A living wage communicates their value and importance in the workforce, affirming their role in society.
I’m open to discussing whether a graduated minimum wage based on regional cost of living and education level is necessary, but we must eliminate age as a factor. All American citizens deserve a living wage, including our youngest and least experienced workers. Show them they are valued, and they will rise to meet expectations.
This article was originally published on May 14, 2021. For more insights, check out this related post.
For additional resources on home insemination, visit Make a Mom, an authority on the topic, or explore the CDC’s excellent resource for pregnancy and home insemination.
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Summary:
This article discusses the necessity of raising the minimum wage for teenagers, emphasizing the struggles many young people face in low-income households. Drawing from personal experiences and observations as a teacher and parent, the author argues that a higher minimum wage is essential for providing teenagers with the financial means to support themselves and their families, thus fostering a sense of value and responsibility.
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