My oldest was his drivers license. He wanted some independence, but, being unemployed, buying a car was completely out reach.

I told him if he got a job, then I would make sure he had something to drive. He got a job at the movie theater which turned out to be a good fit since he likes movies and film making. The job itself wasn’t great but the benefits kept him going back. I’ve got an old beater truck that he was then able to use as his own.

My next son saw his brother and friends working, which I think got him going. He plays a lot of summer sports, camps, and tournaments, so a regular job isn’t a great fit for his schedule. He has used his involvement in sports to become his job by reffing - mostly soccer and basketball.

With all the club games that are available his mom puts in quite a bit of work scheduling the games, but it is something where your teenager can work around an unusual schedule and work when they are able to. He’s been able to save a decent amount of money doing it.