March 2020

Hard Work Never Hurt Anybody MONEY MATTERS

WITH DR. ANDREW LEE Dr. Andrew Lee is professor of English at Lee University. He also serves as a coordinator for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. He and his wife Esmerelda have three children.

W

hen I turned sixteen, I got my first job as a

the bank” among his friends since, apparently, many of his

dishwasher at the Holiday Inn restaurant. I

friends don’t work even though they are driving cars and

earned the minimum wage of $3.35 per hour.

about to begin college. I always reply with a simple, “You’re

Back then (1985) there were no teen labor laws restricting work hours on school nights, so I would often clock in at

welcome, son.” A recent online article was titled, “How to Ruin Your

four p.m. and clock out at midnight even on weeknights.

Children’s Financial Future” and the first point was “Don’t

After two weeks, I received my first paycheck and gaped

Make Your Kid Get a Job.” Remember, not making your

in wonder at the amount which was over two hundred

kids get a job would ruin their financial future. In fact,

dollars—I was rich! Similarly, the day my sons each turned

many parents who are millionaires and multi-millionaires

sixteen, they got jobs and went to work, paying for their

insist that their teenagers get jobs at the first opportunity—

own gas, oil changes, car insurance, and spending money.

not because they “need” the money (which they don’t),

But they knew this day was coming because I’d been telling

but to teach them about paying bills, learn about taxation,

them since they were very young, so it was no surprise.

and about being financially responsible. If this is how

Every now and then, my sons might gripe that they were the

millionaires raise their children, maybe there’s a lesson

“only teenagers they knew” whose parents “made them”

here. I’ve had students come into my office to chat about

pay for their own gas, car insurance, and so forth (they don’t

their “problems.” These students were not doing well in

have car payments since they saved money for many years

my class; in fact, they were failing nearly all their classes.

and paid cash for their cars). In response, I would always

They were aimless souls, binge-watching movies every

smile and say that I cannot apologize for training my teens

night or playing video games. As I talked with these

to be responsible and independent adults instead of hapless

students, I noticed a common trend. None of them had a

and clueless progeny who may be living in their parents’

job. They were broke. Maybe there’s a connection here?

basement when they were in their 30’s, as is increasingly

I’ve noticed that my best students all have jobs; they have

common these days. Eventually, my sons came to realize

money and pay their own bills. They are involved in

that (shockingly), their old Dad was right. My older son

countless activities outside of their studies which makes

Caleb is now twenty, and he just bought his first home with

them learn time management skills as well as financial

an FHA loan in his own name, while still in college. He’s

management. Frankly, their lives are incredibly busy

paying his bills now like a grownup, and he’s moved out

and productive. Scripture warns us in 1 Timothy 5:13

on his own (praise God). My middle son Samuel is a high

against idleness and aimlessness. Moreover, Psalms 128:2

school senior, seventeen years old, and he now admits that

promises, “You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your

he seems to be “the only one with money in

hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.”

10 // March 2020

Let’s train our children accordingly. They’ll thank us later.