Based on an eight-year study, this book examines how the work experiences of adolescents, both at home and in the paid workforce, affect their lives and their relationships. The book is unique in that it studies not only adolescents, but their parents as well. Among their findings the contributors reveal: the importance of work quality and context in developing youth competence; the similarity between parents and children in their perception of the benefits and costs of youth work; how paid work can contribute to positive family relationships; how positive work experiences can buffer the adolescent from stressful family problems; and how adolescents' work plans influence their transition to adulthood. In addition, the book offers directions for future research in this growing area of inquiry.