It is hard to believe that child labor in the U.S. peaked at the turn of the last century. Factory owners preferred children because they were cheaper, more manageable and didn’t strike. But the National Child Labor Committee’s efforts and hard work to end child labor along with the effort to provide free, compulsory education for all children, resulted in the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which set federal standards for child labor.

But as I watch my precious and precocious daughter busy at play, my mind wanders to the child laborers of the world who almost never have a day off. Children as young as two and three years old work long hours in unhealthy and dangerous conditions. There are no unions, and for that matter any adults looking out for their well being. If they have parents, they need the money to help feed the family. If they are orphans, they are free labor for corrupt governments and military regimes, like the present regime ruling Burma, now (unjustly) called Myanmar, where children and women are used for labor by the military or sold into the sex trade. In the eyes of corrupt governments, children are dispensable. They have no rights and no vote, and frankly, are viewed as cheap, controllable labor.

David Parker, a physician from Minnesota who has written a book called “Before Their Time – Child Labor Around the World,” documented with photos of children at work around the world. This is one heartbreaking excerpt:

In 1993, during my first trip to Nepal, I visited dozens of carpet factories where children were hand-knotting carpets in cramped, musty rooms. After leaving Nepal, I went to Bangladesh and photographed children working waist deep in leather-tanning chemicals and scavenging plastic and cardboard amid the rotting waste in garbage dumps.”

In 1996, estimates put the number of working children between the ages of 5-14 at 250,000,000; of those 120,000,000 working full the time. With many of these children toiling in agriculture in rural areas alongside their families, 4 out of 5 are never paid for their work.

In Guatemala, a country close to my heart and my daughter’s birthplace, I saw toddlers with shoe shine kits working from dawn to dusk. In the rougher areas of Guatemala City, child prostitutes lived on the streets, sniffing glue to relieve their hunger pains. In Guatemala, where poverty is endemic, children contribute up to 30% of the family income. Assembling fireworks is one form of income for children of desperately poor families in Guatemala. They do this at home or just outside their homes, and children six years old and younger are among the laborers. Burns, finger and limb loss, are among the horrific accidents in this dangerous field of work. The children are exposed to potassium nitrate and gunpowder, and there are no controls for the health and safety of the children.

Around 84 million children worldwide are employed in dangerous work.

What can we do to help? Well, we can stop buying from companies whose products are assembled by children, although it is hard to verify that. But without that extra income, families suffer so we are back at square one. Many adoptive and non-adoptive parents send money to children in third world countries. I recommend sending money to put a child through school, as education seems to be the only way out of this circle of poverty and desperation. For a list of organizations that use your money wisely, you can click here.

Image Credit: Thai child selling flowers 

Apparently, ODD tends to occur in families with a history of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), substance abuse disorders, and mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Additionally, children raised in abusive or violent homes, or have little parental supervision or inconsistent discipline practices, are more at a risk for ODD.

Children with ODD show a consistent, as opposed to occasional pattern of uncooperative, defiant and hostile behavior toward authority figures which seriously interferes with their ability to function on a day to day basis. Five to fifteen percent of school aged children suffer from ODD. ODD should not be confused with children going through normal stages of growth where they question authority and want to make their own decisions. Oppositional behavior is very common between the ages of 2-3 and during adolescence.

Brain images of children with ODD often reveal subtle differences in the area of the brain responsible for reasoning, judgment, and impulse control. Not surprisingly, children with ODD have trouble accurately identifying and interpreting social cues from peers. They will often see hostile intent in totally neutral situations, as well as having a problem generating solutions to problems.

Although many parents of children with ODD think their children need to be treated, therapy for ODD should include family therapy and/or parent management training. When a toddler starts to show signs of having ODD, parenting techniques can go a long way to improving the situation. But if you’ve adopted a child who already has ODD who cannot function in school, the home or any social environment, medication may be used on a short term basis to alleviate some of the symptoms of ODD.

The good news is that ODD can go away with time. Studies show that the signs and symptoms of ODD are resolved within three years in 67% of children who were diagnosed with the disorder. However, research goes on to say that 30% of children with ODD go on to develop conduct disorder. The earlier a child is diagnosed with ODD, the less chance of a complete recovery from ODD. Ten percent of children diagnosed with ODD will develop another personality disorder, such as Anti-Social Personality Disorder.

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If you are unfamiliar with this law, here is an excerpt from Article II of our constitution: 

Clause 5: No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.”

How do you feel about this? Why does a person have to be born in the U.S. to be considered competent to be the leader of this country? Does a child who was brought home within a few months or years of their birth lack the commitment,skills and dedication needed to lead the U.S.?

Perhaps there is unnecessary concern that there would be a conflict of interest, after all, our internationally adopted children were born in a foreign country. But a country built on immigrants, many who have always kept strong ties to their ancestors’ homelands, can surely understand that this is an unfound concern. Our children can most certainly be as loyal and patriotic to the U.S. as any child born here.

To date there have been unsuccessful efforts to change this law. In 2005, two amendments to the Constitution of the United States were proposed, but not passed:

1. One law required 20 years of citizenship for a naturalized American to be eligible to hold the Office of President.

2. The other law required 35 years of citizenship for naturalized Americans to be eligible to be President and Vice President.

I propose that it is time to support changing this law. Remember, adoptive parents are a number to be reckoned with; since 1990, over 247,000 children have been adopted through intercountry adoption. We have a voice – we can make a difference. Let’s ensure that our adopted children have the opportunity to hold the highest elected office in the country.

Image Credit: Flickr

As a mother to a Guatemalan born daughter of American Indian heritage (American as in Central American) this could be positive news. In 2042 Ella will be 36 years old and in the prime of her life. She will be in the work force and perhaps raising a family. I’m comforted by the possibility that she will not be denied any opportunity because of the color of her skin or her ethnic heritage. Maybe her children will grow up without ever feeling the hatred and ugliness of racism and prejudice that is a tragic piece of American history and still alive and well in some contemporary politics and policy as well.

A dramatic change in demographics will bring fundamental changes in the cultural and economic institutions of the U.S. For starters, the baby boomer generation will be aging and needy, and social security (if anything is left) will be paying out more money than it is taking in. Spanish will continue to strengthen as a second language in this country, and possibly we will hear more Spanish than English in areas other than Florida. That is bad news for the “English Only” movement, but in my opinion great news for a country that has promoted monolingualism far too long.

Since 1990, American citizens have adopted over 247,000 children from abroad; we have made a difference in the demographics of the U.S. Those of us who are white and have adopted a child of another race, have made a statement about racism – it doesn’t exist in our lives. Hopefully our children will grow up with equal respect for people of different color, race and religion. It will only make this country an even more wonderful place to live.

American Adoption Statistics Summary

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At one time when I was public school teacher, I was a staunch opponent of home schooling. I questioned the ability of homeschooled children to integrate into society as functioning adults, and wondered just how qualified many of the parents were to teach their children. Today, I feel differently, and even venture to say that the socialization process in public education is overrated and often unsuccessful. Instead of observing children working conflicts out peacefully, it seems to me that there are more aggressive and disruptive children in the system than ever before, and school administrators often are limited in how they can respond to these children. Regarding a parent’s ability to teach their child, obviously that is difficult to evaluate. Many states require homeschooled children to take standardized tests along with the children in public school, although this is neither a comprehensive nor reliable method of judging a teacher’s skills.

By the time our children reach middle or high school, they often begin their day at school by walking through a metal detector. Many schools have security guards or police officers onsite. As a result of what I see happening in schools, as well as a concern that my Guatemalan born daughter will suffer from discrimination and prejudice in public schools, I am seriously weighing the idea of homeschooling her. With her being a little over two and a half years old, I have plenty of time to research home schooling and make a decision that will be best for my daughter. Here are some of the preliminary questions I’m asking myself before I take this step:

1. Am I qualified to teach my daughter?

2. Will my daughter want to be home schooled by me?

3. Will I be able to provide her with enough social interaction with other children so that she will not be socially isolated and lonely?

Many communities in our state have organized support groups started by parents who are homeschooling their children. They share knowledge, experience, and even teaching responsibilities. Some have started their own sports teams, choirs, and competitive academic groups. In addition, our state allows homeschooled children to participate in any sports or extracurricular activities at the public schools, given that their parents are paying school taxes even though their children are not attending public schools.

Crime, Violence, Discipline and Safety in U.S. Public Schools: Findings From the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2005 -2006

Academic Statistics on Homeschooling

Homeschooling in the U.S. 2003: Statistical Analysis Report

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For each of the boys, I gave them a cover story, based upon the idea that the other kids did not have a need to know what my son didn't wish to disclose. Here it is: "I lived with my Mom in Oregon, now I live with my Dad here in California. He's divorced." Shuts off all of the questions, kids understand divorce, and don't want to talk about it. Also grossly misleading, their Mom is not my Ex. There was also a wee gap, typically about 3 years, in foster care between Mom and me."

After ruminating about this idea, I concluded that it is both pragmatic and an excellent solution for some children. This is not a lie; certain information has been left out until the adopted child wants to share it if they so choose. Where is it written that our children’s adoption stories need to be told in full to everyone our child comes in contact with? If we have told our children the truth about their adoption from the get go, we can most certainly let them decide how much of their adoption story they want to share.

With younger children this may not go over too well as they are often purists about telling the whole story. I think I would encourage my young adopted child to say that their adoption story is private and that is that. Additionally, adopted children who are of a different race than their parents obviously can’t pretend to be biological children.

Some adopted parents have the tendency to provide friends and acquaintances abundant information about their child’s adoption. It is not unusual for some parents to share this information with their children, who may be your child’s peers in school. I recommend not telling other parents more than you would want their child to know about your child’s adoption. Let your child be the one to decide how much they want to share and when they are ready. Having another child in school or on the playground blurt out some sensitive fact about your child’s adoption would be horrible.

Although adoption does not carry the stigma it did when I was a child, it can still be a challenge for our adopted children to handle the private questions and inquiries into their adoptions. Other children can be cruel and tease mercilessly. John’s “cover story” was an excellent solution for his adopted children’s transitions into a new setting; kudos to John.

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