This only works if kids are also given adult responsibilities along with their consequences. Giving kids the choice to choose their own path doesn't work when they know that they are not truly responsible for their actions. Contrast kids today with kids decades ago when it was typical for a kid of 13 to get a job to support the family. If you want to treat kids like adults you can't half-ass it.
Within the last half century in the US, kids were not contributing to the household support with whatever jobs they had, unless their families were squarely at the bottom of the economy, migrant farm workers for example. Minimum wage x 40 hours x 10 weeks went surprisingly far toward state college tuition, but not toward the expenses of a middle class household.
Forty plus years ago, high school friends of mine were busing tables before 16, and we mostly held down summer jobs once 16. I don't know that we were that much different from kids today.
