Mowed hay fields at age 10. Also lawns for spending money.
So did a lot of my friends. No one sited us for child labor or permits. Those were the good old days!
Wife & I were just discussing how much good our chores did us back in the day of “child” labor. The lack of this kind of “child” labor may be one of prime reasons for the failure of “liberal” reporters to understand the way the world works. Such work teaches you a lot about your self and the adults you work for. Raise you hand if you think this reporter would be good to work for - - - anybody??
At five I was too young to help harvest hay bails, so I drove the tractor while others placed the hay on our trailer.
Then I drove everyone back to the barn a quarter of a mile away.
Same here on the hay fields.
Never mowed any lawns, wasn’t enough time with all the farm work that needed to be done.
All of us kids in our community worked on the farms. Not one of us had any serious injuries and this was with open pto shafts and no roll over protection.
Hand planted and suckered tobacco, cut it, put it in the barn and tended the curing fires. Spent nights and Saturdays sorting, tying and packing it. Very early morning packing it on the truck to take to the market.
Market day was a day off from school.
The good old days.