I wonder what percentage of children throughout the country have had to contribute to the preparations for Christmas?I am guessing that the number will be extremely small - possibly even tiny.
Even in my day, numbers were not great but there were relatively few mothers with outside jobs. Today, when women have often to be breadwinner, housewife and 'perfect Mum' - it is hardly fair that they should have had to toil unaided throughout the Christmas season. [Have their menfolk contributed to reducing the workload perhaps?]
But if we return to the children - there is something deeply wrong if Mum has had to shoulder a massive burden and they have not even struck stroke.
The absence of contribution in the home from so many little darlings bodes ill in terms of social preparation or preparation for life. Why should youth be a Get-out-of-work-free card?
