Normalising child labour does not make it harmless.

Written By Stephanie Todd

CODA series

Symbolic photograph: A smartphone and a stack of documents rest on a wooden table in the foreground. In the blurred background, two seated figures sit side by side with their hands in their laps. The scene is softly lit.

In some environments, responsibility can become so familiar that it stops being recognised as labour.

 

What is often framed as “helping out” can become quiet, continuous labour that goes unquestioned.

 

Normalising child labour does not make it harmless.

 

Familiarity should never be mistaken for fairness.

This reflection comes from my perspective as a Deaf parent, shaped by listening to CODA voices and stories over time.

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Stephanie Todd
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Children should never be the interpreter