As I look at the growing concern over the lack of responsibility, over-absorption of today’s media, and obesity in our children as they get into their teens and young adulthood, I wonder if we should revisit the Child Labor Laws. One day last summer an early morning TV show was highlighting a lack of obedience to the Child Labor Law as it showed a child of five carrying two buckets of blue berries while her older brothers, ages seven and eleven were picking blue berries along side of their parents. The TV show told how the family was paid per bucket, and that they were financially impoverished. In looking at these children, not one of the three looked obese, and they didn’t look unhappy. The buckets the little girl was carrying looked to be about the size of a five-quart ice cream container, and she didn’t appear to be struggling with them.
The Child Labor Law, as a general rule, sets fourteen years of age as the minimum age for employment and limits the number of hours worked by minors under the age of sixteen. Come on, by the time teenagers are between fourteen and sixteen, they don’t want to work. They have been able to play until then, so why should they work.
Maybe we should be able to use children when they are willing to work. I have found with my own children, somewhere between the ages of three and ten is when they are willing and excited about work; finding it “fun”. Once they get into their teens, they view work as “work”. I’m noticing, also, that by the time our youth reach the adolescent years, many of them are starting into the thought of “everyone owes me.” This attitude can carry on throughout their lives.
I’m not suggesting that we put our children in a factory to work long hours at salaries below minimum wage. But picking blue berries, carrying a bucket full of the berries to the drop-off place? These children were not confined to a smoke filled room with loud machines. They were outside and actually exercising, being productive, and spending time with their family.
Yes, there is the concern of the chemicals used on crops, all agriculture crops. But that concern should be for the parents also, not just the children. Are the chemicals more damaging physically to the child than some of the TV shows and video games are damaging to their mental and emotional health?
Yes, there is the danger of large equipment being in the fields. I don’t know about the equipment in the blue berry patches, but I do know what equipment is required around the alfalfa and grain fields, and even with the cattle operation. However, there is the danger of large equipment on the roads when the children are riding their skateboards or bikes or playing ball. There are dangers when children have too much free time.
Do we have our priorities wrong? I know that all children can’t live on the farm where there are daily chores for them to take care of, no matter what their age. But surely there are things that can be done that not only keep our children busy with responsible tasks, but things that will benefit others plus build their self esteem and sense of responsibility. Perhaps if children had responsibility at a young age, it would keep them from sitting in front of the TV or computer, eating junk food, and viewing violence.
I’m aware there are a lot of young people who are responsible and hardworking. It seems, as in most cases, the irresponsible ones are those we look at and judge the rest by.
Those three children in the blue berry patch very likely know that work equals money. Do the majority of our children understand this simple, yet so essential, truth? And these three children, if allowed to continue helping their parents, are less likely to become irresponsible or obese.
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Skyler and Jaedn chopping wood at Dehlin ranch. |
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