I agree with one of the poster that said children should learn to pick up mushrooms and/or collectibles when they are around them. There should be a learning process for the children where they begin to pick up items more and more as the mature. This should happen so that when they are assigned a skill the player doesn't have to stay with them to trainee stage. The children will already know how to work.

I am not saying make it easy for us. There are many varibles that you can work into vv3 concerning this suggestions.
For example 2-4 year olds only pick up mushrooms; 5-8 butterflies and the shells 9-13 pebbles and beetles 14yr olds go to work with 10% in assigned skill.

That was just a thought.

If not this than put the children in day care. I keep my population low because I learn from vv1 that too many children is distracting and annoying.