Labor Day reminded me that many of the kid jobs that boosted self-esteem have disappeared. When my husband was a teenager, he and his friends, who also lived in town, were hired by area farmers to help bale hay during the summers. Today, large machines have automated the chore.
Growing up on a family dairy farm like I did, there were child-sized jobs such as feeding a calf from a pail of milk. Acreage has expanded and the work requires grown-ups.
Fifty years ago, in our village, a school boy or girl placed the daily newspaper on our front porch each morning before 7:00 a.m. Every other Friday, during the late afternoon or early evening, the young person knocked on our door to collect for our subscription. Now an adult flips the rolled-up paper from a car window and it lands on or near our front sidewalk. We pay online with a credit card.
During the same era, according to a “Not So Long Ago” column in our weekly, The Volunteer, “Dennis Snook has been named one of the top ten patrol boys in Winnebago County. The eighth grader is captain of the safety patrol. He received a certificate of recognition from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Chicago Motor Club.” The elementary ‘big boys’ who donned white, woven, San Browne belts, guided the younger pupils walking across streets before and after school. Today, we have a woman in an orange vest holding up a sign to stop traffic while she shepherds students of all ages through the intersection.
When our son grew big enough to push our power mower, he cut the grass surrounding the homes of two elderly ladies who were our neighbors. He always complained about the Boston Bull Terrier who left deposits in the owner’s yard. Now, people hire landscaping businesses to do their mowing.
During the summer, our young daughter walked to the local nursing home where she volunteered as a ‘candy striper’ (referring to the red and while apron she wore). She did mundane tasks such as bringing fresh water to the residents and brightening their day with her smiling face and conversation. Some of our retired friends volunteer at health institutions to aid the staff.
While you were growing up, did you have a kid job that taught you the work ethic of honoring your task, taking pride in hard work and delivering the best results possible?