Spring Break
'Kid Nation' teaches kids the value of a hard day's work
Caity Cudworth
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Entertainment
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10/11/07 - Child labor is against the law now, but in the golden days of the Industrial Revolution children spent their days productively, operating heavy machinery with their small, nimble hands.
Those adorable scamps toiled from dawn to dusk in mines and factories. And whatever they lost in terms of limbs, they gained back in the solid sense of work ethic that came from their efforts.
Really, Black Lung, third degree burns and the emotionally crippling loss of childhood are a small price to pay for the satisfaction that comes from a hard day's work.
The youth of today, however, are lazy. Where youngsters once made themselves useful by crawling into small places in order to fix giant looms and clean chimneys and such, they now spend their time playing in the streets and attending institutions for lazy children known as "schools."
But does coddling our children with "education" really teach them the same hard truths as losing a hand?
No. No, it does not.
Hands were a luxury for kids back in the 19th century…and kids today act is if they're a god-given right.
But I'm delighted to say that children are once again putting their adorable noses to the grindstone. CBS' new show, "Kid Nation," proves that cooking, hauling heavy buckets of water, and washing clothing by hand does more than build character: it makes good television!
The premise of the show is that a group of kids must build their own society and be "pioneers." Now, if this show were about adults, it would be just another Survivor rip-off, where contestants vie for prizes, shit outside, and spend their time doing backbreaking labor.
But with kids, it's genius! In one episode the kids have to complete a challenge in order to win a prize. One prize is a 45-foot waterslide. The other? Water pumps that don't freeze!
These 8-15 year olds can either fulfill their wildest dreams by having a gigantic amusement park waterslide… or they can have a reliable water source. It's a difficult choice between fun and comfortable survival.
Those adorable scamps toiled from dawn to dusk in mines and factories. And whatever they lost in terms of limbs, they gained back in the solid sense of work ethic that came from their efforts.
Really, Black Lung, third degree burns and the emotionally crippling loss of childhood are a small price to pay for the satisfaction that comes from a hard day's work.
The youth of today, however, are lazy. Where youngsters once made themselves useful by crawling into small places in order to fix giant looms and clean chimneys and such, they now spend their time playing in the streets and attending institutions for lazy children known as "schools."
But does coddling our children with "education" really teach them the same hard truths as losing a hand?
No. No, it does not.
Hands were a luxury for kids back in the 19th century…and kids today act is if they're a god-given right.
But I'm delighted to say that children are once again putting their adorable noses to the grindstone. CBS' new show, "Kid Nation," proves that cooking, hauling heavy buckets of water, and washing clothing by hand does more than build character: it makes good television!
The premise of the show is that a group of kids must build their own society and be "pioneers." Now, if this show were about adults, it would be just another Survivor rip-off, where contestants vie for prizes, shit outside, and spend their time doing backbreaking labor.
But with kids, it's genius! In one episode the kids have to complete a challenge in order to win a prize. One prize is a 45-foot waterslide. The other? Water pumps that don't freeze!
These 8-15 year olds can either fulfill their wildest dreams by having a gigantic amusement park waterslide… or they can have a reliable water source. It's a difficult choice between fun and comfortable survival.
