No, Jocelyn, you don't have to leave a tip, but let me explain why you should think about leaving one. A tip is a small amount of money that you give out as a way of saying thanks and good job. Tipping is simply the sign of a job well done, and that we appreciate the service. We might also leave a very low tip, or no tip at all, as a signal that the service we received was cruddy.

Tipping, especially here in the US, is expected but not required. Some people feel obligated to leave a tip, no matter what, they feel guilty if they don't leave one even if the service was bad. Try to use your conscience as your guide! Did you have a good meal? Was the service quick and friendly? Would you eat there again? If the answer to these questions is "yes", then a tip is definitely a great idea.

For most restaurants, the standard tip is between 15 percent and 20 percent for good service. For instance, if you had fairly decent service and your food bill came to $28.94, you'd leave a 15 percent tip of $4.34. But if your service was absolutely wonderful, and you left with a huge smile on your face, you'd leave a bigger 20 percent tip, or $5.79.

At your age, more than likely the only place you'll need to worry about leaving a tip is at a restaurant. Or perhaps you might be in a position to tip the pizza delivery driver who comes to your house. But there are several other examples I can give you where tipping would be appropriate and appreciated: Tip the person who cuts your hair, the bellman at a hotel who carries your luggage, the valet who parks your car, or the taxi driver who just gave you a lift.

If you still have questions about when, where and how much to tip, be sure and ask your parents. And always remember, though tipping a few dollars might seem like a small, unimportant thing to you, to the hard-working employee who receives the tip, it means a lot. In the type of jobs that receive tips, sometimes their hourly wage is a lot less than normal, because their employer figures that they'll get a lot of their money from tips!

Did You Know?

The tip you leave for your server at a restaurant is split several different ways? Not only does the tip money go to the server, but he also gives a portion of it to other restaurant employees who helped him do his job, including bus-boys, dishwashers and even cooks!