Should children be put to work earlier to learn valuable life skills?

[wolfcat87]

It used to be the norm around the world to have children work jobs even at 5 years old.

Now, some societies seem to want to keep children away from work until they are well into adulthood at 25-30!

My mother took me to work instead of daycare before kindergarten, so I learned contracting work and fixing up houses by watching and helping her before I was even in school. Farmers, other contractors, and mechanics often do similar things with their children to teach them.

Do you feel children should be working earlier instead of later so they can learn skills and get ahead?

Yes

No

Unsure

[NathanDavis]

We've been teaching my niece about business and the cost, as well as the value of money since she was around 10 or 11

So yes, she is very aware of the work and the effort that it takes us all to provide for her and others, the way we do

and she has gotten a few things for herself that she wants and also covers most of the costs to take care of her doggo

She is a teen now so, she is also responsible and helpful with all of the chores around the house, including doing her cooking and her laundry and more... as soon as she turns 16 or so, it will be time for her to learn about banks, saving accounts, driving AND car payments, all that stuff... so yeah, when the time comes, she will be way more ready for adulting responsibly, way more ready than I was at her age lmao, that for sure

[Massageman]

My 11 year-old, homeschooled grandson has his own business making custom-made, hand-crocheted toys and decorations. In the summer, he and his two siblings had a lemonade stand in the front yard and brought in $180 in one afternoon. They are already well on their way to learning basic life skills. They all can cook something, from pancakes to more complex dishes, and I was teaching the grandson how to machine see as well as crochet, which he already does. They're all at the age when their brains sop up this stuff SOOOOOO quickly!

[Massageman]

oops - that's machine SEW, of course.

[theothersider]

You don't need to make kids work to teach them skills. You teach them responsibility and the value of thier time by giving them things to challenge them to grow and understand the world around them. If you are so inclined you can been reward them for that. The examples of past children in the work place. Almost always devolved into exploitation. Chimney sweeps for example, where usually young boys who were adopted by an older man. They would then starve them down to stunt thier growth or keep them skiny enough to fit into chimneys. Many would get stuck and be left to die because the price of tearing down chimneys was more than the cost of those boys lives. Women who worked in cotton mills. They would usually keep younger girls to crawl under cotton threshers and milling equipment. To collect the excess cotton. It wasn't uncommon for the machines to snatch these girls by the hair and crush them head first into machinery... in the late 1800s early 1900s people under the age of adult. Made up the vast majority of work place deaths and accidents. It's the reason we have hyper restrictive child labour laws today... because kids historically do not make good safe employees. I could go on and on why we don't send children that young into the work force. But just suffice it to say it was not productive.

[handsomelad70]

Not to mention slave children were sent to the fields about seven, I believe.(My great-grandparents were slaves.) Only in America, which has declared was on its future (children) would this question be seriuosly entertained.

[MrOracle]

Kids don't necessarily need to have a "formal" job - we don't need kids working in factories - but they should absolutely have tasks/chores that increase in complexity as they age. Everyone should learn how to do physical work and to do basic tasks that we all need done in life. Everyone should be able to cook a meal, clean and put away the dishes, mow a lawn, wash a car, rake and bag leaves, properly plant a tree or shrub, vacuum, mop, sweep, clean a bathroom, etc. These are all BASIC tasks that only require a small amount of learned skills to do, and most average 10-year-olds could do them.

Parents who spoil their kids and shelter them from doing work are NOT doing their children a favor - nor the rest of society.

[Phoenix98]

Your right it used to be common to have children working full time jobs at 5 years old but then you also have to remember a lot of those kids died in various ways to from workplace accidents to cancer or got crippled or died of sickness.

I'm not against teaching kids these things at a young age however I don't think we need to be putting kids back into factories or having them have formal 9-5 jobs.

But having them do chores around the house like weed eating, chopping wood, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes for a price every week absolutely that'll teach them the value of hard work and the reward of an income that comes with it.

As well as having them "help" you with things while you show and teach them how to fix something or do something.

[RingOfFire]

Absolutely!

Kids should start working the second they pop out of the womb. I mean I wouldn't hand them a scissors to let them cut the cord or anything, but there must be SOMETHING they can do there in that room while everyone else is so busy. 🤔

The sooner you teach them the work ethic the better.

One of the objections to kids working you hear is about ABUSING them with child slave labor. That of course is an entirely different thing not to be confused with teaching them the work ethic from an early age.

A lot of kids in the younger generations clearly did NOT get that lesson and the country is worse off for it today. They think the "government" (which really means other people) owes them a living and complain that they have to work to pay their own way.

[IslaTheWitch]

I wouldn't say to work as such. But to chores at home, to help in the community, to help their neighbours or relatives...

Some of those things can be paid. Like, grandparents are very happy to give a few coins for cleaning windows or removing leaves from the yard... :D

[tremendousfern]

I think kids should start by learning to work with their parents when they're young. I got my first job the summer before I started high school which I feel like is a good age to start doing part time or seasonal work. Even though I feel like work is a valuable experience for kids to learn about, they should still be able to have an enjoyable childhood and not be forced into a sweatshop.

[RavVid]

I'm off a farm and of course I had tasks and responsibilities. At school what got you credit was if your father gave you a very responsible job. And as you said it was the way you were taught.

I am really quite surprised at how little youths have. My contemporaries in the city had after school jobs. You can quite reasonably describe 22 yo's as children as they have not been allowed to grow.

[TenderFantasy]

No that's insane!

Kids should concentrate on being kids! They already have enough to deal with and don't have the mental brain volume to absorb all that!

I think the earliest people should start working is like 16 to 19 and up.

You can get a work permit like some people were able to get in my high school when they got a job.

Being a kid and going to school is already a full-time job, not to mention them doing chores when they got home from work! No need to add from that! They get an allowance already so that should be good enough! They are not matured enough to handle adult responsibilities like driving, having sex, etc! They should STAY CHILDREN and ENJOY THEIR YOUTH!

[DJB72]

Yes. There's nothing wrong with the system that worked for centuries where children learned how to do jobs around the home like cooking, cleaning, washing up, the basic chores.

My son (5) actually bugs me to teach him about cooking and cleaning. Makes me a proud dad.

[handsomelad70]

Wish I learned to cook at five !!!

[Ironco]

Children should most definitely be put to work early in life. Maybe not 5 but for sure by junior high school. I'm a gen x kid, you worked or they put you to work. I believe it helped greatly in my future development into society. It's also gave me confidence, and a strong work ethic, not like a lot of the people today.

[Daniela1982]

Kids seem to grow up too soon, especially sexually, before their time. They need to be able to be kids. Some of my fondest memories are when I was a kid. I think it can actually do them harm in the long run. They don't even have the strength to do a lot of stuff anyway. "Hey Bobby, can you bring that 100 lb tool box over here and load it in the truck."

[Anonymous]

I learned from an early age that if you want something you have to either ask for it or work for it, and to lower yourself to begging for a thing from anyone is disgraceful upon you as well as your family and your people. I've had at least a part time job since i was 9, and I'm proud of it and of what i know

[handsomelad70]

Rich folk get stuff handed to them all the time, Anonymous (18-24). Having a part-time job from nine means you were robbed of your childhood. (I don't know about YOUR people, but MINE have been robbed for 405 years.)

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I think the rules we have in the US are pretty good. 16 to work most jobs, 18 to do anything dangerous. Do I think it could go a little younger? For sure.

But we need to be careful about letting children work too young because there are economic factors which might not be immediately obvious. These rules were put in place for good reasons.

[its_amelia_c]

It’s not jobs, it’s chores! Yes they should! It teaches them responsibilities and respect.
And then yes as they become teenagers they should get a part time job to earn some pocket money and again learn what growing up and responsibilities are. As long as it doesn’t interfere with their school work and family time etc.

[PBandJ_Nerd]

I think doing chores and volunteering for stuff is fine. But actual work no. People always want to make kids grow up & mature faster than they can, just let kids be kids. Doesn't mean you can't teach them stuff for later on. I only started helping around the house more when I was an adult, but that's probably more fitting to my development, can't say the same for anybody else.

[handsomelad70]

RIGHT ON, PBandJ_Nerd !!!

[PBandJ_Nerd]

@handsomelad70 I remember even when I was a teen I just wanted to be a kid. Dealing with both homework and anxiety disorders was awful and exhausting.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

I believe children should learn things early on. So, yes, I’d try to equip my children with all the necessary skills that an adult needs to have.

[Joshydavid25]

Absolutely, teaching them not to be spoiled and have responsibility is one of the best lessons parents could teach a child.. Having them earn whatever extra they get seems to build work ethic.. I'll definitely do that with my kids..

[goaded]

Doing what your parents do and helping around the house is reasonable, I was helping on the farm from early on, but having children work to make money for employers is wrong.

Loads of US states (16?) have passed multiple laws making legalising child labour.

[exitseven]

I often made my kids help me around the house. Most of the time it would have been easier for me to just do it myself but I tried to teach then some life skills.

[worldscolide]

If 5 years old is the suggestion than no.. But I have been working since I was 14. I think 14 or 15 is a good age to have a part time job so thry can learn basic work ethic and skills. Mind you part time. As in 20 hours or less per week. School should still be a priority.

[handsomelad70]

So what? Slavery was the norm until a coupe of centuries ago. Societies evolve and become more humane with knowledge, except perhaps America, where school shootings abound and fondness about the good ol' days of working kids rather than educating them still exist.( If there's a "GirlsAskGuys" in any European country, where children are viewed as people, not parental appendages, nobody would think of asking this question.)

[handsomelad70]

Some states permit NINE-YEAR-OLDS to do agricultural work. Some existence for a child, eh? (The good Canadian lad escaping.)

[AngryCarl]

Yes, but it should be part of their education, not a substitute for it. I'm not suggesting they should be used as chimney sweeps, or otherwise as cheap labour. The problem I see is kids leaving school totally unprepared for working life.

[deus_ex_sisyphus]

I think kids should be left to their own devices if they have the personality to explore and expand their own worlds. If they, for example, just sit at home and play video games, then yes they need to be forced to work and learn soft skills that video games could not teach them.

[bobby_bush_eater]

Yes. Not in the industrial revolution or modern China way but absolutely to learn skills and to value the labor that goes into their home, food, clothes, etc

[Paul09]

No, not really. Because once you start working you'll never stop until you retire lol. Teaching them, showing them, making them do chores yes! Lucky kids learn very useful skills from parents. Some of us didn't have that chance. 2 of my friends father taught them how to use tools, how to build kitchens. Now they have there own business.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

For others outside the home, no. Children need to be taught by their parents work around the house needs to get done or do community work like picking trash around the community with their parents.

[OtterMan68]

depends: working in the fields, coal mines, textile mills, or mowing lawns, washing cars, baby sitting...

[JustinTheGreat]

Where I am, there are jobs that hire teens as young as 14 or 15.

i think starting work at that age is young enough and gives plenty of time to learn those valuable lessons. Any younger than that, is a bit unnecessary

[handsomelad70]

How 'bout kids being kids?

[JustinTheGreat]

@handsomelad70 I’m not saying that 14 year olds should be working 40 hours a week and paying bills lol.
But if a kid really wants their own money then they what’s wrong with working a few hours during the weekend?

[jamesgoldman]

Absolutely, I started working for myself when I was 8

[najekim]

Yes, At least chores around the homestead. I was working on farms during the summer starting when I was 14.

[DARKCLOUD1945X]

The only problem with that is the GOODY TWO SHOES will start screaming child abuse

[Lara_Croft]

Definitely; learn money skills, housekeeping skills, learn how to learn, agriculture. I was taught the same

[Account]

In my opinion, they shouldn't. They will have the rest of their entire lives to work. Let them enjoy the freedom and innocence of childhood.

[RebelinSteel]

No, they were horrendously abused in Victorian times. However 16 is fine as it is

[wolfcat87]

Some areas in the U. S. allow 13 year olds to work, and it hasn't been a problem.

[RebelinSteel]

This is how bad it was…
Throughout the second half of the 19th century, child labour began to decline in industrialised societies due to regulation and economic factors because of the Growth of trade unions. The regulation of child labour began from the earliest days of the Industrial Revolution. The first act to regulate child labour in Britain was passed in 1803. As early as 1802 and 1819 Factory Acts were passed to regulate the working hours of workhouse children in factories and cotton mills to 12 hours per day. These acts were largely ineffective and after radical agitation, by for example the "Short Time Committees" in 1831, a Royal Commission recommended in 1833 that children aged 11–18 should work a maximum of 12 hours per day, children aged 9–11 a maximum of eight hours, and children under the age of nine were no longer permitted to work. This act however only applied to the textile industry, and further agitation led to another act in 1847 limiting both adults and children to 10-hour working days. Lord Shaftesbury was an outspoken advocate of regulating child labour.[citation ne

Imagine age 9 doing 8 hours work working in harsh conditions

[Passerby2]

Kids want to work. It's the parents who dont want to fund their experiments.

[Unit1]

You better believe it. It's all gonna pay off sooner than later.

School and public education is a scam.

[SunnyRS]

Put to work no, but I think they should be taught how to do things from an early age, so that they can grow up with some extra skills which will be helpful to them in the future.

[lightbulb27]

yes to some extent. I did

[lightbulb27]

and... parents/guardians should provide savings accounts and teach them good habits. I was so impressed with family I met that their little kids had work/chores, were paid, and also instructed to save, spend some (buy their own stuff in some cases), and tithe/gift. Those kids will be solid and can function in society when grown. they will have work ethic and community standards.

[Francesca1994_]

I say they should do volunteer work or work around the house.

[robocop666]

School and college are wastes of time. I wish I dropped out and did an apprentice.

[Liketotry]

I’m not really sure, maybe?

[ChefPapiChulo]

LMAO WHAT

[ChefPapiChulo]

Fuck no. That’s insane.

[Gabriel-Chicanito]

Sometimes.