I have never started a debate...but here goes.....

I took my mum to the city yesterday we went round the museums, they were very nice by the way!

We then went into Rundle Mall for food,and I was shocked to see small children (one looked about 6) playing musical instuments and making balloon animals with a box for collecting money in front of them! I also saw a mini farm with lots of mixed animals including little ducks in a pen not much bigger than 25x10ft,full of children feeding them....I looked at all this and thought it wasnt quite right

so my question is what do you guys think???

Were they any good?

Scouts do it, if you've got kids I'm sure you've gave them money for washing the car or something , whats the difference?

Or are you implying there was an adult waiting to take their earnings?

Were they any good?

I guess they probably would have been if they looked like they were enjoying it, but the two small ones who were playing the violin clearly were'nt, while their mum sat nearby pushing a pram back and forward reading a book.

Scouts do it, if you've got kids I'm sure you've gave them money for washing the car or something , whats the difference?

I did give my two money for jobs around the house and they did their fair share of fundraising for charity, schools etc, but if it involved standing in a shopping center with a box in front of them then NO!

Or are you implying there was an adult waiting to take their earnings?

Well I wouldnt like to presume that, maybe they are earning their holiday money.

Hi Sarah,

If the animals that you saw were outside the Myer Centre then they had been organised by Adelaide Council as part of their April School Holidays Activities. I am sure all the children out shopping with their parents will enjoy petting the baby animals, but I would imagine that it would be a very unpleasant and stressful environment for the animals involved.

The last time we visited the Sunday Market at the Festival Centre we saw two young children selling balloon shapes for $1 - 5 dollars. Both children looked totally miserable and it really was sad to watch them clearly very fed-up at their lot on a Sunday afternoon.

I am sure that most of us of our generation had part-time jobs or worked in the family business from a very early age, so seeing young children "helping out" is not surprising. But it is still very sad in this day and age when you see the realities of some children’s lives, especially when it is condoned by the Council or the Festival Centre organisers – by which I mean they have turned a blind eye.

So yep I have to agree, it doesn't sit quite right with me either.

Clare x

Sarah, I saw those two little ones playing the violin as well a couple of weeks ago and they certainly looked like they did NOT want to be there! The mum was there then as well and my kids said they saw her shoving one back onto the "front line" when they wanted to stop playing. Can't verify that though, as I didn't see it with mine own eyes ... :( I thought it was a one-off that they were there, because of the Fringe, but I'm worried to hear that it's a regular occurrence. :unsure:

the mother should just sell the youngest children ans be done with it

Now Dougie.....would you sell the golf club that you hit the best????????????? especially if it was a driver.

Ps have to sort a game out soon

not sure if its related but i saw a woman and a couple of kids playing violins in sterling raising money for the tsunami a couple of years back.
cant remember much about it now, but i do remember that i felt it was a 'cash in'.