Paper rounds

[TheArtfulDogger]

I just read on the bbc website that the European Committee on Social Rights (ECSR) says the hours UK children can work are "excessive"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35430053

Whilst I agree that children should be protected from exploitation and I'm not seeking a return to the "good old days of kids working down the mines" I do feel that there is a valuable addition to a child's education gained through the independence experienced of doing a part time job that also teaches responsibility and financial management.

Not sure I agree or disagree with the ECSR here as doing a Saturday job never 'urt me edukaton

[DulwichFox]

I used to do a paper round before going to school.. I absolutely loved it.. 1966-68.

Foxy.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Sounds like a non-story to me. I don't imagine for one minute that anyone is going to be stopped from doing a paper round.

[steveo]

I was richer when I was at school than I am now

[DulwichFox]

Can't even send small boys up chimneys any more.. Bloody Bureaucracy.. Human rights.. Blah Blah Blah

DulwichFox

[Guest]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I used to do a paper round before going to

> school.. I absolutely loved it.. 1966-68.

>

> Foxy.

And me

[TheArtfulDogger]

If I was a kid today (and milk men still delivered to every door) then I suspect I would be the ECSR's worst nightmare as I used to do two milk rounds, starting at 6am with the unigate milkman, finishing at 12 then jumping onto the co-op milk float at the end of the unigate route to do another 4 hours doing the round in reverse until I got back home again.

It taught me about money, mental arithmetic (always adding up or subtracting changes to people's bill on the fly) and improved my memory as I used to remember everyone's order so that we just had a change sheet to work from, but most of all I learnt customer service and the stark truth that housewives rarely come to the door in the nip

Let's hope that we can defeat this policy so that young boys can experience housewives on the front door in the nip for themselves....