Letter from the momma of some wonderful albeit spoiled children . . .
Dear Child Labourer:
I really wish my sons could swap places with you for a day.
Just one day.
Maybe even one hour would be enough.
Just so they would be eternally grateful for what they have. You see, for the tenth time this morning I had to hear them cry, ”I’m bored” followed by “there’s nothing to do.” After only about twenty minutes of swimming in their own pool, they told me they were getting out because they were bored. Bored of swimming? Huh?
While I love my children very much, I sometimes wonder whether I have been too excessive with them in the gifts department and because of this they really have no idea how good they actually have it. They complain about their chore lists and when they have to do homework, there can be serious meltdowns. If something with a screen has a slight malfunction, they have severe withdrawls from it. And, calling them down to dinner can turn in to a yelling fest as if I am calling them from across the other side of the world.
All this has caused me to think about children who are less fortunate than my own. Children who would love nothing more than to simply go to school. Children who would love to have homework and simple household chores to complain about. Children who could probably swim all day and never complain about being bored.
And, so I decided to google these children and discovered you. Taken from your mother’s side at such a young age and forced to work. According to the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), there are 218 million child labourers in the world between the ages of 5 and 17 years of age. In other words, 1 in 7 children around the world is a child labourer risking injury, death and missing out on education.
And, my children have the audacity to complain about being “bored” or “dreading their first day back at school.” I am sorry for what you endure every day. I can’t imagine what it must be like to not be able to play and socialize with friends. If more people like myself reduced our demand for cheaply produced products or diamonds then the elimination of child labour is within reach.
Children belong in school, not in work and I think it’s time I teach my boys a lesson about just that. I know they don’t mean to sound so ungrateful because they truly are amazing children and I am very proud of them, but they need a lesson in humility. One that hopefully will make them think twice before they ever utter those two words, “I’m bored” again.
Sincerely,
Momma of some wonderful, loving albeit spoiled children
What a fantastic post! I’m making my kids read it and then I am googling child labour.
Right on!
Mark’s brother and his wife adopted a baby boy from Ethiopia a couple months ago. His name is Jakob, and he was left on the doorstep of a farmer. When they went to Ethiopia to pick him up, they took a ton of pictures , and it was heartbreaking to see the kids, knowing that most of them would never be adopted seeing as they were “too old”. I made my kids sit down and look at every one of those pictures and told them, “I don’t ever wanna hear you complain that you don’t have enough Wii games to play.” I think it hit home for them, I could tell by looking at them while they looked at the pictures that they realized how lucky they are-
they’re good kids, too! And they don’t complain anymore… as much.
We sponsor 2 kids abroad – one in India, one in Guatemala. My kids just cannot comprehend that the whole family lives in one room with a dirt floor and no water or electricity. It is just beyond their comprehension….so I really know what you mean. It makes me sound like a pensioner but,
‘kids today, they just don’t know they are born!’
I love this post…so true. Happy POW!
Sad, isn’t it?
Even at such a young age, I point out the poverty we see in Brasil to my four year old. We go overy year to see family, and every year the slums grow bigger. It breaks my heart to see the kids, dirty and begging. At four, my daughter feels very sad that those kids don’t have any toys, and I hope she continues to learn about how truly blessed she is.
1 in 7? Wow that is madness.
So sad. Yeah it certainly does change your perspective of bored!
Applause, Applause!
I couldn’t agree more!!
Happy POW!