True story: I was once rejected for a job at Burger King in Alexandria, Minn., because, the manager said, I didn’t have any previous work experience. I was 17 years old and it was the first job for which I’d ever applied. Apparently the manager at Burger King believed a 17-year-old who hadn’t previously been slaving away over a basket fryer was a slacker. This was a substantial blow to my substantial 17-year-old ego, but I’ve gotten over it by never eating at a Burger King in the subsequent 30 years.

Luckily the owners of Olson Produce near the corner of Nokomis Street and Lincoln Avenue didn’t feel previous experience was necessary to deliver fruits and vegetables to local restaurants (including Burger King). They hired me. It may have been they were impressed with my superior teenage job interview skills — if memory serves, when asked why I wanted the job I replied, “I dunno, I guess I need some money.” — But it was more likely because I came on the recommendation of my best buddy, who happened to come from a well-connected family in town.

Either way, I was on my way to a lifetime of somewhat gainful employment. Not to mention the princely sum of $3.25 an hour.

That first summer job was a lesson in punctuality, responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving and all the other positive cliches you can dream up. It was also a lesson in resentment, bullying, office politics, backstabbing, power plays and whatever other negative cliches you can dream up.

In other words, for as much good that came out of working that first job in high school, there was just as much bad. Some would call it “reality.” I would call it “unnecessary b.s.”

This is one of the reasons I would prefer it if our daughter did not get a job before she goes off to college. Most people, including my lovely wife, think I’m crazy. I raised the topic last week on my radio show and callers strongly voiced their opinion that I’m nuts.

Quick side notes: Emma is only 13, so this is not a pressing issue. And she has already expressed interest in finding some sort of work to make a couple of bucks to buy iTunes songs or clothing or whatever else 13-year-old girls want to buy. I know I am fighting a losing battle.

But I will continue to plead to her and her mother that there’s no reason to get a job during high school. I am willing to fund her iTunes and clothing and whatever else a teenaged girl needs.

My thinking is simple. There is plenty of time in life to work, so why not spend your teenage years being a teenager? Is having a part-time job for a couple of years in high school going to make or break the rest of Emma’s life? In a word, no.

So why not spend those teenage years being in as many activities as possible, filling up your schedule with nothing but fun and games and recreation? Many adults work their tails off 50 weeks a year to get two weeks off to play. Doesn’t it make sense, then, to take advantage of the free time youth affords before you have to work?

This isn’t a condemnation of working. I’ve liked every job I’ve had in the past 30 years (including Olson Produce) and I’ve been lucky to have a couple of great jobs (including my current one at KFGO). There just shouldn’t be such a hurry to start grinding away in the workaday world. Young people have the rest of their lives to work. There is an extremely small window in which to just be a kid. We shouldn’t be in such a hurry to close it.

Several callers to my program suggested I’d be teaching Emma a poor lesson telling her not to work, that I’d somehow be making her feel entitled. Breaking news: Children are almost completely dependent on their parents for the first 15 years of their lives. A few more years of that arrangement would make almost no difference in the grand scheme.

If I had any worries about Emma’s work ethic, or if I felt she needed a kick in the rear end as motivation, I wouldn’t propose what I’m proposing. But she’s a straight-A student who’s in many activities and she has a great group of friends. She’s a good kid. I’m not worried about her growing up to be a lazy bum. There’s no chance of that happening.

My idea is for Emma to not get a part-time job until she goes off to college. That’ll still give her plenty of time to glean all the positives and negatives from a work environment and allow her to show potential full-time employers that she’s held jobs and she’s willing to work.

Not being employed for a couple of years during high school will not affect her long-term future in any meaningful way. It will, however, allow her to be a kid for a little while longer.

We shouldn’t be in such a hurry to turn kids into adults.

There is no chance I can win this debate with Emma or my wife. There is a 100 percent chance Emma will have a job when she’s 16 and can drive herself to work. She’ll insist on working and she’ll get her way. But I can make my case. I can beg. I can plead.

And I can make darn sure she doesn’t apply to work at Burger King. Ever.

t(Mike McFeely is a talk-show host on 790 KFGO in Fargo. You can follow him on Twitter @MikeMcFeelyKFGO)