Not sure how many of the F4F members have farms, but I thought this was concerning. Kind of kills an American way of life. And who determines what a "farm" is?:

http://news.yahoo.com/rural-kids-parents-angry-labor-dept-rule-banning-054605888.html

Geez.....absurd.

Same here. We also used to go work at my dad's uncle's farm, thinning the corn by hand. It's scary to think agricultural skills will only be learned through sanctioned channels. It's good for kids to get their hands dirty; and home is the perfect place to do so. Plus, some things simply cannot be learned via a Wii.

"Land of the Free".....my ass! 

Over-regulated, micro-managed, over-taxed....soon you'll need a permit to use a toilet....(I censored my remarks).

This bro' must go!  And so do the Senators, and Congressmen who think just like him!

Frank

Can we please leave politics out of this site?

I agree. I didn't really want this to be against any particular person or party. I just thought the idea of the proposed prohibition of kids learning while working on family farms was wrong. It's too invasive in my opinion.

Good luck enforcing it.

If they do manage to enforce it then family farms are going to be a thing of the past. I think some regulation could be in order to ensure child safety and prevent abuse, but this is robbing them of their heritage and futures.

The end of the Amish way of life. And what about those bodegas?

Here's something from another site on this issue that may put some people's minds at ease:

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/whd/WHD20111250.htm

That helps a bit, but communities do get together for things like bringing in hay on occasion. And I know that in Illinois, kids still get hired for corn tassling. That would end. The problem is it is a slippery slope once started.

Time will tell what the updated regulations (originally from 1970) actually entail. Sometimes regulations are helpful, sometimes they are not. 

Farm labor for youngsters is not being outlawed. On the surface, increased safety for kids working in farm jobs does not seem like a bad thing. Might have saved the life of my 16 yo cousin (experienced farm kid) who died while working a summer job at a grain elevator. 

I grew up on a farm in Iowa and lost a friend who was 15 due to a tractor accident.  I'm not sure new regulations are the answer but I think focusing attention on reducing accidents is generally a good idea.  Also, Gina thanks for the clarification.  The Daily Caller article is very misleading.  Here's yet another view on the matter:

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/is-the-labor-department-barring-kids-from-working-on-family-farms-no-its-not/

So how many people are killed or maimed in tractor farming accidents each year?  How many in auto accidents? Which is the real problem? nothing in life is guaranteed. Stuff happens.

That should in NO way be construed as being in favor of farm accidents. Life is quite precious, but you cannot outlaw accidents and "stuff". You can't outlaw tornadoes, even though people die from them. Likewise, you cannot outlaw tractor accidents.

A lot of things are nice as a goal, but there does come a point where the cure is worse than the disease. Good intentions, and reasonable application in the real world are rarely something that government is good at.

All of this is coming about because of increased activity at OSHA. The current governmental administration has placed an increased awareness on job related deaths. All departments are using Labor Department statics in order to lower job related deaths. I am in industrial maintenance and the changes being brought about massive.

interesting... i had my first job when i was 12. i learned a lot about work ethics. you work hard, you make money.

pete

I grew up in Kansas driving combines and hay trucks by 10 on a 300 acre farm.  AND loved every minute of it.   Going to grandma's house during the summer will not be the same.

Work ethics and workplace safety are two different things, though. I'm sure none of us would like to return to the days of eight-year-olds working in dangerous cotton mills. The problem comes when you try to determine where the line gets drawn. Heck, I was earning money at age 8 mowing lawns around the neighborhood, but I'm not sure I'd let my son run a gas mower unsupervised that young...and I'm sure as heck my wife would kill me if I did!