[nknighthb]

> you just can't work full-time

In the US, sans certain specified professions, federal and most state laws effectively exempt properly self-employed children or children working in their parents' business from most restrictions. Do such exemptions exist in the UK?

[ealexhudson]

No, I don't think so. The basic rule is you can work part-time from 13, and then full-time from 16 (soon to be 18 - basically, the minimum school age). It doesn't matter what the form of employment is, they're generic rules, and largely about ensuring children attend school.