Should parents encourage teenage children to take a part-time job? The child is the treasure of every family. How to cultivate children as well-rounded people has always been a critical problem for parents to discuss. And recently, there is some dissent as to whether or not parents should encourage their teenage children to take a part-time job. Some people contend that teenage children are too young to take a part-time job, whereas I believe that taking a part-time job is one of the best ways to improve themselves and prepare for their future life. Firstly, taking a part-time job can develop children's independent personality and a sense of responsibility. Take my high school friend Patrick for example, he was a little spoiled boy. His parents did almost everything for him: cleaning his room, washing his clothes and rescuing him from troubles. However, everything changed during the last summer vacation when he served as a waiter in a cafe. At first, He was often scolded by the manager due to his waywardness. He even wanted to quit but finally, he stuck with it. Two months later, he became much more mature and independent. We are surprised to see his changes and I believe these qualities he gained from the part-time job will help him go further. Besides, the significance of taking a part-time job to make various friends can never be exaggerated. Taking a part-time job helps children to build their social networks and broaden their horizons. If someone works in a company, for example, Google, as an internship, it is very likely that he or she will have more contacts with excellent software engineers, product managers, and UI designers. And he or she will have a better understanding of what they are doing, what he or she can do in the coming future, all of which are conducive to future careers. Admittedly, teenage children may not adjust themselves to the complicated society in the beginning. However, it should never be the reason to escape from work. They have to experience these setbacks sooner or later, and part-time jobs are just their stepping stones. Actually, the earlier they are confronted with the obstacles from part-time jobs, the easier they would be when they are handling with real jobs in the future. In a word, a far as I am concerned, taking a part-time job is one of the best ways to prepare for their adult life and help them grow up as versatile people. Because not only it makes children more independent and responsible, but it also expands their circle and widens their horizons.