Children under 14 can gain valuable experience working, but there are limits to the kinds of jobs that you can do. If you are under the age of 14, you are only allowed to do the following jobs:
- Deliver newspapers to customers
- Babysit on a casual basis
- Work as an actor or performer in movies, TV, radio, or theater
- Work as a homeworker gathering evergreens and making evergreen wreaths; and
- Work for a business owned entirely by your parents as long as you are not employed in mining, manufacturing, or any of the 17 hazardous occupations.
Be sure to check your state’s work laws, as states have different rules and employers must follow both: www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state