Our schools do a "spirit night" fundraiser at a business once a month. The business donates a portion of the sales to the school during a specific time frame. Child labor is not involved.

This is what it is, and it's sad that it's so normalized that people are defending it.

Everyone knows the kids aren't technically required, but they're "required" by social pressure.

I remember having to go door to door selling things when I was a kid. It may have been voluntary in a technical sense, but I was pretty well mandated to do so if I wanted to be part of that group with my friends. And there was even more pressure from my mom and dad because they didn't want to be the family whose kid didn't do the thing.

I think it's time we start taking a long hard look at some of these things like fundraisers and de facto coerced employment of youth (without pay) and ask ourselves if a healthy system would allow this.

“Child labor is ok if the money goes to a school!”

-_-

The way this thread is going it sure would seem that way. A little bit of menial work to earn money for an activity is hardly the same as if this kid was on his 9-5 grind just itching for his next smoke break.

Well that’s a relief.

Why not both?

That's why we need to have ubi for everyone, even these kids. Then they will just have money to spend on their dance clubs and stuff without having to work for it.

I had a paper round at 13 and washed dishes in a pub at 15. It was my choice to work and earn money. Not sure what's so dystopian about that.

In germany as well. We had a week where we could try out a few jobs and occupations hands-on. It was great. Seventh grade, I believe.

And that was 33 years ago.

It's is in the US too after age 15.

For a few hours? Sure, why not. They’re not actually useful labor. The store is doing you a favor. Your average 8 year old peeled away from Minecraft and told to do a task is going to fuck up more than they help. I know, because I was that kid and I fucked up a lot. Sometimes in very expensive ways. My only worry would be that they would leave the job thinking every day will be fresh and new like that day, and that people are gracious and polite.

For a few weeks? Oh hell yes, now we’re talking. Then they’ll see the monotony and how much corporate sucks. Even more, how much customers suck. At that point, the value of learning a skill that keeps you out of the fast food/retail mines will be obvious.

Depends on the kid. Do they treat workers disrespectfully, or not understand that money shouldn't be recklessly spent? Absolutely have them work fast food for a night -- so long as an adult is there to make sure there's no safety issues and they're paid full minimum wage for it, I'm all for it.

I had a chemistry teacher in high school who maintained that everyone should have to work retail or fast food once, and as I've grown older I completely understand what they meant. Some people are naturally not dicks. They don't look down on workers at Walmart or McDonald's. For others, it's a lesson they have to learn. They need to work in that position to understand what it's like.

That doesn't mean we should draft all kindergarteners into the work force. But the occasional experience to show them what a minimum wage job is like? Absolutely. If we want kids to grow up voting for minimum wage increases and universal labor rights, they have to learn these things somehow.

Yes, of course I would. It's a great experience. We actually did that back in school, had a week when we all went out to check out different jobs. It was a great thrill and fun for all. Certainly not labor. We got to do grownup things. That was shortly before seventh grade, iirc.

And then, we've had school things where we would bake and cook and sell it right there on campus. Is that labor as well? Oh, and when I was in the boy scouts, we sometimes went door to door raising funds and selling trinkets. Child labor?

It's not like we had to do eight-hour days, week for week. A few hours, once in your life. That's not labor. That's a fun thing to do.