Clothes, books, smartphones, computers…everything a teenager wants. It all costs money, but you don’t usually have much if you are a teenager.
What if you start earning your own money and start saving up for the future doing something you enjoy?
There are a lot of things you can do. To begin with you can get part-time jobs, you can create your own business and be a small business owner, you can do some services in your neighborhood, or help other kids with their homework, or even sell some of your old stuff.
Besides, if you like kids you can babysit or you can tutor. Remember that tutoring doesn’t necessarily mean helping other kids with only school subjects that you are good at, but you can also help them improve skills like sport, playing a musical instrument, actually anything you are good at.
During the pandemic, lots of kids started small businesses that have actually become such a big source of money. Starting a business can have quite a lot of benefits for a teen, it can really teach some valuable lessons in life.
Why should you start a business?
First of all, by setting up a business,you will pick up skills that will be useful wherever life takes you, from time management to how to communicate effectively. Not only will you learn responsibility, but you will also make some money while you’re at it.
In addition to this, you can express yourself through the products you make and sell, which can be paintings, jewellery, clothes…all sorts of stuff.
But if you want to help out the community, and not necessarily be paid for it, there are tons of voluntary associations and organizations that really enjoy young people’s help.
Why is charity work important for youth?
No doubt that while supporting youth volunteerism to better our communities, children and teenagers who volunteer will also be able to see and feel valuable transformation within themselves. In the words of Opportunity Nation1, “There is mounting evidence that volunteering, participating in service projects, and other forms of community involvement are more than feel-good activities. They can contribute to better outcomes for youth and for communities.” In other words, we can all get benefits by encouraging altruistic behaviors in our communities’ youth.
You can develop transferable skills, you can make a real change, you can reinforce your support network and build relationships .
Volunteering also helps make a safer community, according to studies teens who volunteer are 50% less likely to participate in risky behaviors, are less likely to become pregnant and use drugs, and are more likely to experience psychological well-being.
In conclusion, if you need money or if you want to start earning some, start now. There are lots of options, and people that need help.
1 Opportunity Nation is a bipartisan, national campaign of the Forum for Youth Investment, composed of more than 350 cross sectors organizations working together to expand economic mobility and close the opportunity gap in America
