Child labor is a cruel and harmful event in a child’s life. Yes, child labor may provide an income, but, is it worth all of the side-effects that come with it? People should be helping these families that need their children to work. Some kids need to work because their families have been dealt the poverty card. Having to work all day, comes with a cost, their education, or maybe even their life. Child labor is harmful, dangerous, and cruel to young children. But, what about the kids working for their families?

Some of these children are just working on their family farm. The parents need the kids to help out doing chores for the business. Even the U.S. Department of Labor says, “Minors of any age may be employed by their parents at any time in any occupation on a farm owned or operated by his or her parent(s).” When it comes to that, child labor can be viewed differently, and can be seen more like a chore. Yet, some people abuse child labor by making them work in tobacco factories, or in other harsh conditions. In a report done by Marion Dupont, a trusted blogger, she states, “The reason companies hire children is because they don’t argue about pay, they are less expensive to hire, and easier to fire.” Is that a way we want to treat children? Although this is unfair, a child's health could be more at risk.

Secondly, child labor can be the reason some children have diseases. For instance, a tobacco field in Richmond, Virginia demonstrated how awful it is to put some children in these types of conditions. Furthermore, In an article written by the Associated Press, "The U.S. has failed America's families," said report co-author Margaret Wurth. It is "not meaningfully protecting child farm workers from dangers to their health and safety, including on tobacco farms." Farming "is hard work anyway, but children working on tobacco farms get so sick that they throw up." Child workers "get covered with pesticides and have no real protective gear." If children are getting so sick the throw up, shouldn’t the company at least provide safe gear? These children push their bodies to the limits every day and they need gear that will protect them from harmful substances, such as nicotine poisoning. Over 40% of children in Africa work, fighting off diseases that travel their way. This demonstrates how hard working and powerful these little children have to be, just to get by until the next day. Do we really want to put these children in this hard of a living environment? Even if they don’t suffer from such a harmful disease, they could suffer from loss of education, or even forget what it is like to live a “normal” life with friends and family. 
Children who have to work in the fields all day miss the proper education they’re entitled to. Even those who work with their families do not receive the same schooling as those in a public school. According to UNICEF, an organization, whose purpose is giving children equal rights says, “158 million children from 5 to 14 are engaged in Child Labor.” Out of those 158 million kids, how many kids actually go to school? Most kids are required (by their families) to leave school early to go work in the fields or farms, making little money. Sometimes child labor could be what’s keeping them poor. With loss of education how are they ever supposed to get a sufficient job?
In conclusion child labor is cruel and harmful to children all over the world. On the other hand, for some, it’s not all bad, maybe working for their families. However, for those who need to work in the fields, factories, and other life-threatening places, the situation is harmful and can cost them in their education. Laws should be changed to benefit those that can’t work their way out of poverty.