Teens Working Longer Hours

Mon., June 19, 2000

By Kandis Carper kandisc@spokesman.com

Teenagers are working more hours than ever, (an average of 32 hours per week) and not just during summers. A nationwide survey of 659 high school students conducted in May by Junior Achievement revealed that 91 percent of the students are making more than the minimum wage of $5.25 per hour. Despite all of the hours and relatively high pay, almost half of the students (45 percent) think they are underpaid. This was especially true for girls, who earned an average of $6.73 per hour while boys reported an average of $7.36 per hour. This amounts to girls making 91 cents for every dollar made by boys. In contrast, figures for their adult counterparts show adult women earning only 74 cents for every dollar made by adult men, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

* Keep ‘em waiting: Many men complain about how frequently they are kept waiting by the women in their lives. Well guys; we can’t help it — we were born that way. Baby girls stay in the womb longer than baby boys — about five days on average, according to “Fairy Kisses and Stork Bites: Amazing Adorable Facts About Babies” by Karen Brown. (Andrews McMeel, $9.95).

* Breathe free: About 15 percent of children in the United States have allergies and about 5 million suffer from asthma. Parents will be happy to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently published a new book titled “Guide to Your Child’s Allergies and Asthma.”

The book answers questions about various types of allergies, symptoms and treatments. There is also a section that explains asthma treatment options.

The book is available in stores for $12.95, or it can be purchased directly from the American Academy of Pediatrics Web site: www.aap.org.

* Childproof gardens: With plants and flowers in bloom it’s time to make sure gardens are kid safe. “Be especially careful of plants with shiny berries, which are often poisonous” to children, Ted Maclin, coordinator of the Children’s Garden Program at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, tells Parents magazine. Some common poisonous plants include azalea, calla lily, delphinium, foxglove, jimsonweed, lily of the valley, monkshood, narcissus, jonquil, nightshade, potato (the leaves) and rhubarb (also the leaves).

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