With respect to the "child labor", although the hours of work for them were frequently just as long as for the adults, the work performed by the children was frequently not as demanding.

For example, many younger children were employed a "doffers" in the textile mills.  These were the lads whose task it was to replace the filled spindles with fresh empty spools when the run of the mill ended.

At the moment when this work had to be done, each lad had to exert himself with great energy and skill for a few minutes.  Then, as the mill began again with a new run, most of the doffers would go outside in good weather to play ball.

Although they would be considered to be "working" fourteen hours a day, the actual amount of time worked in such a case probably did not exceed two or three hours, and the balance of the time was consumed either in playing, learning other mill processes and skills, or in school.

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