Do you use child labor?

[ReadBavinck]

I have read this and other similar statements on the PB:

It doesn't take long before children are old enough to become income producers.

How does this work? How do your children produce income for the family? When does this begin?

Just curious,

Christopher

[Edited on 2-8-2006 by CJ_Chelpka]

 

[rmwilliamsjr]

for us, the kids worked in the family swapmeet business as soon as they could walk.
then went to work for other dealers at 9-10 years old. we put their checks/cash in the bank, the oldest had $8K in his bank account when he turned 18 and we gave it to him to do with as he desired. today, kid #5, has his own swapmeet business and hires his two sisters to work there.

 

[ChristopherPaul]

What's a swapmeet?

 

[ReadBavinck]

It's kind of like a bazaar. Lots of vendors selling a lot of different things. Most people I know go on weekends. You should expect to haggle a lot. They're also really fun.

Richard would know more, but I don't think they're as regulated as a small business might be.

 

[rmwilliamsjr]

here in the Western US they are called swapmeets. In New England, we've done flea markets and the occasional thieves market. We travelled for about a decade selling books and junk.

no regulation but paying sales tax in Calif.
14 here in AZ for the kids to work for the swap meet itself. no rules on family members in a family business. all my kids learned to count making change. how to bargain and sell before they were 10. i'd never want to bargain with them, ruthless, without shame *grin*....

augie sells car seat covers, there's been someone from our family at Tanque Verde Swap Meet every weekend here in Tucson for more than 18 years.

[Edited on 2-8-2006 by rmwilliamsjr]

 

[ReadBavinck]

Anyone else?

 

[VictorBravo]

Well, my parents used child labor on the ranch. Sometimes 12-16 hours in a day. It was work or no eat. My sisters and I unionized, but we lost our nerve when Dad came into the house and gave us the "look". The strike was short-lived.

I loved those days.

Vic

 

[Semper Fidelis]

FYI. If you have a legitimate business Tax Law permits you to pay your child for work conducted in that home business. They have to file income tax returns at the end of the year but there are no taxes paid if the income is below a certain threshold (sorry I don't have the tax stuff in front of me). Also, below that threshold, no Social Security witholdings must occur either.

Thus, for the small home-based business, the family can pay each child up to the threshold amount each year and deduct that amount from their taxable income. It's actually a smart way to reduce your taxes if you have children working in support of your home business. You actually have to pay them and keep records and the child has to be at least 6 to be an employee. The income earned by the kids can be used to buy things like clothes and other items that they need.