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Kids just get no respect in mom, pop store (John Kass, Chicago Tribune, 8/3/2003)

It involved a grandmother who runs a small resale shop. Her 9-year-old twin granddaughters were spending time with her at the store.

The girls washed the window with a squeegee. A photographer made a picture. And some moron at the Illinois Department of Labor saw the photo and was outraged. He sicced state inspectors on the grandmother.

In Illinois, it is illegal to pay a child younger than 16 for doing simple chores in a family business. They can't make a dollar washing the windows or from bagging groceries. They can't be paid with money or even candy.

In Illinois, kids must work for free.

My view is that child labor is a great learning experience, and child labor laws should be repealed. In fact, the more child labor the better: that's why, if Massachusetts law should change before my kids are grown, I'm hoping a Nike plant will locate nearby. Posted by Paul Jaminet at August 5, 2003 3:44 PM