[JimRed]

I would’ve thought “treated like family” and “slave” are somewhat mutually exclusive.

Don't forget that family members of non-slaveholders did the "slave work" if there were no hired hands. That's one thing many (or most) of today's youth have never experienced, having a set of duties to perform in order that the family prosper.

[Moltke]

Yep, menial work has to get done one way or the other - today as back then. Better to do it as free person than a slave, though!