Child Labor in U.S. History

I enjoyed reading the various articles in the child Labor in U.S. History. It provided a time table from 1832-1938. In 1938 Federal regulation of child labor achieved in Fair Labor Standards Act: For the first time, minimal ages of employment and hours of work for children are regulated by federal law. It would be interesting to see a longer time table to today's current date.

It states our grandparents used to reproach their kids by telling them of the hardships and toil they endured "when I was your age." The current generation of parents, far less likely to have experienced actual hard labor in their youth, can always fall back on the tried and true "As long as you're living under my roof, as long as I am supporting you, you will follow my rules." this article states this is a way of saying "obey me" and trying to justify the demand at the same time. It stated this sends another message to the kid: you are worthless, you are a burden, and the only way you can even begin to repay my charity to you is with your obedience and your gratification. I think this is a bit harsh and not quite the issue. Maybe the parents are wanting to let a child know that times could be worse. That children now do not have to face such hardships as they used to in the coal mines or on the various family farms.

with saying all that, the article states there is some 50,000 children that still work 70 plus hours a week. This seems outlandish. In today's time it seems hard to believe that is still occuring. It is very disturbing. More regulation should be influenced for those children that is still going through the life of a farm protege.