Volunteer work...teenager....allowance....?

Question

I have a 15 yr old who would like to have an afterschool job, but has been unsucessful as employers in our area seem to want employees who are 16 or older and can drive (understandable). I suggested volunteering at a hospital or YMCA for experience and possible leads. My question is I would like to offer my child an allowance for volunteering...sort of like a paycheck every week in exchange for their time...and I would like suggestions as to how much per week. She would only be volunteering about 10-12 hours per week. Thanks...

She is not volunteering ONLY for the money, but rather the experience she could get in return. She has no idea I want to pay her weekly. I just thought it would be a nice reward....on top of the warm fuzzy you get when you volunteer. :)

Answer 1

This sounds like a fantastic idea! It encourages your daughter to begin "work" and start learning good work ethics by helping others. Hopefully, she will continue her volunteer work, even if it's for less hours, even after she is eligible for a "real" job.

I would suggest you pay her minimum wage, whatever that is in your state. You may even want to work out a deal where she automatically puts a certain percentage in a savings account for college, or some such future endeavor.

If that seems like too much for you, how about trading her for services? In other words, for every hour she volunteers, she has to do one less task around the house (taking out the trash, emptying the dishwasher, dusting, whatever else she may do to help you.)

Answer 2

the reason she is not able to work at 15 is bc most state laws will not allow it they must be 16 and can only work so many hrs per day or per week. if she wants to volunteer then that is what she should do volunteer for no pay at all not even from you grandparents etc. she will learn a larger lesson if she is not paid, knowing that some people work doing the things they do for very little money would be one of those. if she were to volunteer at a hospital she could learn a lot of things that could be useful in future careers. you could also look into what the city offers for volunteer work. it should be something that is going to help her be a better teenager and eventually a better woman.

Answer 3

I would give her an allowance for doing chores around the house, but skip paying her for volunteer work. She'll gain valuable work experience with volunteer work and let the feeling of giving back to her community be her reward. She only has a short time before she's able to get a legitimate job, she'll get a paycheck then. She's plenty old enough to babysit if she wants to make a few bucks. I did tons of volunteer work as a kid ( for the same reason) and loved doing it. I still volunteer when I can and find the value of serving my community invaluable. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Answer 4

I guess it depends upon how much you can afford. Could you afford the going rate of what a teenager earns in your neck of the woods (I would say $7-9/hour not knowing where you live). If not, I think that giving her a set amount each week (based on what you can afford), would still be good incentive. Make sure to let her know that the money is for all of her hard work volunteering. Kudos to you for recognizing your daughter's efforts. Volunteering is still great experience to slap on the ol' application once she turns 16!

Answer 5

I would refrain from paying her for a "Volunteer" position - that would not be teaching her self gratification in a job well done. I volunteered at a hospital when I was 14 & learned people skills & value of life. My son volunteered with the Police Departments Gang Unit (painting over graffitti) & he learned VERY valuable life lessons! Give her something to talk about other that the monetary aspects of a Job Well Done!!!

Answer 6

First, find out what they would spend the money on and go from there. If it is typical teenager stuff, I would say around $50/week. That's enough for a movie, eating out a few times and maybe a trip to the mall. I like what your doing with the volunteer angle, this way the teenager learns to appreciate a good job later in life.

Answer 7

Last year. I volunteered to help fill in for a classmate at a college open evening because she had to go to a rehearsal for a play. I don't volunteer much because I'm a bit shy but will volunteer if no one else takes the job.

Answer 8

Volunteering is an excellent idea for your daughter. However, I would not pay her for it -- she needs to know the importance of volunteering in her community. My daughter, when she was 14, volunteered in a senior citizen's home for about 9 months. She enjoyed it very much and it taught her many things -- especially about dealing with the elderly in our society. Your daughter needs to learn that she need not get paid in order to make a difference.

Answer 9

I suggest you give her enough to cover transportaion to and from her volunteer workplace, as well as enough to cover dinner or a snack (depending on how late she's working).

Trying to match minimum wage or some other number I think would diminish the value of the experience. In just a year, she'll be able to get a real job.

Answer 10

I would say 5-6 dollars and hour is fair... That would let her have 50-70 dollars each week... and I bet she would love that... I know when I was 15, I went and got a work permit, but NOBOBY would hire me ... it was so discouraging! Don't let it get her down, and I think it is great that she will be doing volunteer work!!! It will mold her into an upstanding individual!!!!