WHEN SHOULD YOUR KIDS START WORKING?
When the dolls and baseball cards get pushed to the wayside for cell phones and movie dates, it may be time to gently nudge your child out from under your wing and into the workplace. It doesn’t have to be pushing shopping carts or spinning signs on the corner; working in any capacity during formative years builds character and gives your child real-world experience. Summer jobs teach the value of a dollar and give kids lasting memories, and after- school gigs lead to more pocket change for the weekends and less worrying for Mom and Dad. The hard part isn’t asking yourself if they should work; it’s asking yourself when they should work. In the U.S., most of us have about four decades of working to look forward to. Many start working in late adolescence and continue until retirement age. Now, that’s a lot of work to be had. So why rush it? Well, idle hands often spell disaster. Sitting around all day is a burden on both child and parent, whether they realize it or not. Those few years between hitting puberty and graduating high school are the sweet spot for your child to start their part- time career. There’s no shame in flipping burgers, stocking shelves, or mowing lawns. As of 2014, there were 16 million workers in the retail and food service industries, and the numbers have only gone up from there. But work ethic is changing among American teenagers. Just one-third of individuals aged 16–19 had a job lined up for last summer, compared to 51.2 percent for the same age range in
1997. While surviving on minimum wage as an adult is a topic of great debate, raking in around $10 an hour as a 14-year-old can seem like a king’s ransom. A few working hours here and there will do your grown baby a world of good and prepare them for the next chapter of their lives.
THE GREATEST FREE SHOW ON EARTH! ! WHAT MARDI GRAS AND OUR FIRM HAVE IN COMMON
For us, “The Greatest Free Show on Earth” is known around the world as New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. This year, it takes place on March 5. Ever since the first festivities in 1699, Mardi Gras celebrations have drawn thousands of visitors to the city every year to mingle with locals at the famed parties and parades. In fact, an estimated half a million spectators line the routes of major parades. While Hurricane Katrina in late 2005 caused people to question the future of the Big Easy’s Mardi Gras celebrations, the townspeople joined together to ensure that the 2006 parades would happen. While it’s impossible to estimate just how synonymous New Orleans and Mardi Gras have become in popular culture, locals’ insistence on keeping the carnival season alive even when the city was experiencing major flooding after the hurricane demonstrates how truly significant the event is. It amplifies the city’s sense of community and bridges together cultures across the world through music, laughter, art, detailed costumes, and extravagant parades.
The event’s ability to bring millions of people together always serves as a great reminder for me to be thankful for the close-knit community I have the pleasure to live and work in. Here in New Orleans, people genuinely care about one another, and I remember this every time I meet with a new client — especially ones who have been referred to me through their friends or family members. To those of you who recommend Smiley Law Firm, you play a vital role in helping us remain a community-based firm, which is one of our favorite aspects of the job. Thank you so much to our loyal clients, and happy Mardi Gras!
2 • www.SmileyFirm.com
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