Getting a job could mean getting away from her mother, which she desperately needs to do. 

Teenagers need to get away from their parents one way or another. Some parents are gleeful when their teenage children take the initiative to learn to drive, get a job, and do their best to be responsible for themselves as much as a 16-year-old can. Parents of independent kids get to say goodbye to the school drop-off and pickup lines, and hello to their teens constantly asking them for spending money. However, not all parents are exactly thrilled about these changes. They like the time spent with their teenagers in the car, because it’s one of the few moments of the day that they have alone with them. They don’t want their babies to grow up and no longer «need them» for anything. Parents like this tend to be on the stricter side, not because they want to protect their kids, but because they want to control them. 

Clipping your child’s wings and preventing them from reaching age-appropriate milestones because you don’t want them to become independent of you as a parent is wrong. I understand if a family wouldn’t buy their teenage son a car because he’s proven himself to be irresponsible while driving. But if you prevent your teenager from driving the family car because you don’t want him spending Friday night with his friends instead of his family, he’s going to resent you for doing so. The daughter in this story resents her mom for not letting her get a job.