When it comes to kid's chores, how much is too much? - Action News
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When it comes to kid's chores, how much is too much?

This Friday is World Day to End Child Labour. To mark the day World Vision Canada asked 'When it comes to kid's chores, how much is too much?' Cheryl Hotchkiss, manager of World Vision's "No Child for Sale" campaign, tells us what Canadians think is the right kind of work for kids.

Friday June 12 is World Day to End Child Labour

When it comes to kids' chores, how much is too much? World Vision Canada asked Canadians how they felt about kids doing chores as World Day to End Child Labour approaches.

This Friday is World Day to End Child Labour. To mark the day World Vision Canada asked "When it comes to kid's chores, how much is too much?" Cheryl Hotchkiss, manager of World Vision's "No Child for Sale" campaign, tells us what Canadians think is the right kind of work for kids.

Hotchkiss spoke with CBC Hamilton's Conrad Collaco about chores for kids in Canada and child labour in parts of the rest of the world. You can listen to the entire interview by clicking the image at the top of this page. On mobile? Click here.

Here's an edited and abridged transcript of that interview:

Q: How do Canadians feel about children doing traditional chores?

Canadians overwhelmingly agree the classic chores of cutting the grass and taking out the garbage are perfectly acceptable chores for kids and they are a key part of growth and development.

Q. So what is the right kind of work for a 10-year old?

Canadians feel doing the dishes, cleaning up their room, cutting the grass, taking out the garbage as well as babysitting neighbourhood kids are fine for 10-year-olds.

Q. What do Canadians think 10-year-old's shouldn't be doing?

Manual labour carrying heavy loads of bricks or stones, using pesticides, as well as panhandling or begging.

Q. So, we think taking out the garbage is OK for a 10-year-old in Canada, what are 10-year-old's in other parts of the world being made to do?

We are seeing approximately 85 million kids doing hazardous labour around the world including working in factories or in mines or working in the agriculture industry producing coffee or sugar cane. They are doing this because they are living in extreme poverty.

Q. Why did you decide to conduct this survey on kids' chores?

One of the key pieces of the campaign is to encourage Canadians to be more aware of child labour and child slavery. We thought that if we looked at what Canadians thought was acceptable work for a Canadian child they could see that against what children across the world are being made to do. We wouldn't want our 10-year-old child to be doing this kind of work. Why is it acceptable for another child to be doing it?

Q. What are the most dangerous jobs you've seen children doing?

Some of the worst are in sexual exploitation. There are children working in unsafe conditions in mines and factories as well.

Q. What should Canadians do to prevent hazardous child labour in other countries?

Get informed. Become more conscious consumers. Investigate where your high-ticket items come from. Research products at the goodguide.com. Sign our petition at nochildforsale.ca. Encourage the government and Canadian companies to check their supply chain. See where their products are coming from. There are many products on our shelves that could involve child labour. They are working all day long in unsafe conditions and are not going to school. Many agricultural products concern us.

World Vision Survey: What Canadians think is acceptable work for a 10-year-old

  • Doing chores around the house (dishes, taking out garbage, cleaning their room, cutting grass) (89%)
  • Babysitting neighbourhood children (72%)
  • Using heavy machinery in a factory and/or farm (12%)
  • Manual labour (digging, carry heavy loads) (12%)
  • Using chemicals and/or pesticides (9%)
  • Dropping out of school to work in a restaurant (7%)
  • Panhandling or begging (8%)