A rose gold watch from Fossil, a phone plan for the latest iPhone 6s, or even some new clothes – all things a teen could have without using their parents money, with their own job. Teens can start working as young as 15 with a working permit, and at the legal working age is 16 in Texas. Once a teen hits 16 they should begin applying for jobs and looking to the future.

While trying to balance school, a job, and extracurricular activities may be a hassle, it can also teach you responsibility. Teens learn to adapt to a busy schedule and may  actually become more productive. Usually if someone has many things to get done, they get it done right then and there because of the other many things that they have to accomplish. Instead of procrastinating, they’d know they have deadlines to meet, so they would start as soon as possible just to get it finished. It teaches teens to deal with the immediacy of having a job and being in school.

Although many parents object to the idea of their son or daughter having a job in high school because they want them to focus on school and being young, but they must also recognize the benefits. With a job, teens are able to pay for their own necessities, as well as items they enjoy like concert and movie tickets, and clothes.

Many teens also begin working to help their parents make ends meet. Some families struggle, and although kids may have been working to help from a very young age, it’s nice to start earning a check. Having a job at a young age also looks good to older people, or even people around the same age maybe even persuading them to get a job themselves. It makes others look at working teens as hardworking and responsible young people, which could help them get a future job or gain entrance into college.

Starting to work in high school gives teens the chance to work and interact with all kinds of different people. Most first jobs for anyone are usually a place of customer service, like restaurants. Teens can be taught to act maturely in a situation that breaks out at work because they have experienced it before. For example, someone that a teen doesn’t get along with could show up to their job. (This may happen a lot, especially for working high school students). Some say they wouldn’t be able to “deal” with such things, but if someone has a job, then they would know the only proper way to handle is to be grown up about it and go on with good customer service. It’s just like growing into an adult and learning how the real world is. That’s what having a job can teach teens.

So the next time someone tells a teenager that they can’t work because it’s too much to handle, that they aren’t ready, or that it wouldn’t help them with anything right now because they’re too young, prove them wrong. Remember teenagers can do just as much as any adult and still succeed.