Most parents worry their teenagers are too glued to screens or can't hold down a part-time job. Joanne from Toronto had the opposite problem when she called into "The Ramsey Show": her 15-year-old son might love working a little too much.

A Teen Who Chose Landscaping Over Soccer

Here's the setup. The kid has been absorbing Dave Ramsey's financial advice for years, religiously following the 60/30/10 budgeting principle. Now he's pulling 50 to 60-hour weeks doing landscaping work at 19 Canadian dollars an hour (about $14 USD). He's so laser-focused on earning that he'll bail on his favorite sport to pick up extra shifts.

"He would rather work than go to his soccer game," Joanne explained.

When personal finance experts Ken Coleman and George Kamel first heard this, they practically threw confetti through the phone. Coleman's response? "You have nothing to be concerned about at all. You have a 15-year-old who has discovered the value of working his butt off and stacking cash. I wouldn't be concerned if I were you, Joanne. I'd be throwing a party."

The teen's already mapping out his future: buy a house by 20, start his own landscaping business, skip college entirely. He's even racing through homeschool in three years instead of four so he can jump into the workforce faster.

Coleman was practically giddy. "I wrote a book called 'Find the Work You're Wired to Do,'" he said. "This kid is wired. I'm so excited. I can barely stand it."

Kamel joined the praise party but injected one note of caution: "The only concern is that he has skipped childhood and went straight into adulthood."

The Conversation Takes a Sharp Turn

That's when Joanne dropped the context that changed everything. Her son has experienced "lots of trauma." He lost his brother when he was 7 years old. A year later, his parents divorced.

Coleman's entire tone shifted immediately. The celebration stopped. What looked like admirable entrepreneurial drive suddenly had a different texture. Maybe this wasn't just about loving work. Maybe it was about control.

"He couldn't control losing his brother. He couldn't control you all divorcing," Coleman said. "But he can control how much money he makes."

The hosts pivoted to recommending therapy to help the teen process his trauma, and urged Joanne to encourage more balance in his life.

"I think a little bit of balance is good as long as he has some hobbies," Kamel said. "I don't want to be working 60 hours a week, let alone a 15-year-old."

Finding the Middle Ground

Joanne mentioned that her son has always been naturally handy and loves being outdoors, which makes landscaping a perfect match for his interests. But both hosts emphasized that money shouldn't become his only anchor.

Even though the teen follows that 60/30/10 budget (60% saving, 30% spending, 10% giving), Joanne admitted he barely touches the spending portion. "Remind him, hey, have a little bit of fun with some of that money," Coleman suggested. Kamel added: "Force him to give some, too."

Coleman ended with reassurance. "Lean in, Mom, and love him. Don't be concerned because he'll pick up on that. I just don't think you need to be concerned right now."

Kamel offered his own perspective: "On the spectrum of 60 hours a week doing video games or working, I'd rather him be toward the work side."

It's a nuanced situation. A strong work ethic at 15 is genuinely impressive. But when that drive comes from a place of trying to control an uncontrollable world after profound loss, it deserves a closer look. The kid isn't in danger, but he might benefit from learning that he doesn't have to work himself to exhaustion to feel safe.