Kids ages 12 and 13 are only allowed to work during school breaks, holidays and weekends. They cannot work on school days — including before, during or after school.

"For all the talk on social media, on cable news and at summer cookouts about 'kids these days' not wanting to work, the picture on the ground is more complicated," writes Dan Higgins.

At the beginning of July, Vox even questioned if kids are capable of experiencing the “delirious boredom” of a ’90s summer. Much of this discussion has been out of touch.

She had a point. A version of this article appears in print on June 15, 2025, Section ST, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Should Kids ‘Rot’ All Summer?.

However, this summer I decided to change my schedule again: I now work only three days a week in the office and spend the other two days at home with my kids (ages 6 and 8) offline.