With child labor inflation I do not mean an increase in the number of children working, but an increase in the age that is seen as borderline for child labor. It inflates the perceived problem and takes away

attention from real cases.

Starting with the last one, German schools have two weeks of fall-holidays that were still named “potato-holidays” when I was in school. School was off but at least in the country side the children had to help with collecting the potatoes the grown ups dug up.

Starting at age twelve or so I also had to work an hour or so per day in my dad’s company to get my allowance. Was that child labor?

I am concerned about real child labor where young kids are abused for regular and sustained labor, often in bad conditions and/or without pay. Inflating the age of what we regard as child labor certainly does not help at all. The definition for children is a person between birth and puberty.