Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day

April 27th is National Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day.  The thought of doing this might give you immediate hives or causes you to hyperventilate, but for me, this is my everyday life.

I work at a school that my children attend. Thus, my daughter and son come to work with me each and every day. National Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day began over 23 years ago and is always the 4th Thursday in April each year. Companies across America will open their doors to future teachers, engineers, bankers, lawyers, and chefs.The goal of the day is to show children how their education in elementary and high school applies to the real world and the workplace.

The Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation can help you plan a successful and meaningful “work” day for your children and for your company. There are resources for parents, teachers, and companies to implement and use. And it’s free! The foundation has entire tool kits with age appropriate activities, simulations, and experiences for girls and boys to encounter and solve during their work day. From balancing budgets and making marketing ads to writing press releases and ordering supplies, it takes school subjects and inspires the children to apply their book skills to real-world problems and to find solutions to problems encountered in a work setting.

The foundation recommends that children ages 8-18 will benefit most from going to work with a parent. We all know that younger children have shorter attention spans and self-control, causing the day to quickly become a chore for all involved. Children who can read, comprehend, and journal their experiences tend to profit more from this trial run. For more information about this special day in April, please visit the foundation’s website: 

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation

Of course, this option is not feasible for all parents. Whether it is due to the nature of your workplace or the sheer fear of having your child spend a day at your office, the importance of showing our children a healthy balance of work and home life is key. Everyone has to to work, whether that means saving lives at a hospital, cleaning the house and doing laundry at home, driving a truck, teaching children, serving food at a restaurant, or manipulating spreadsheets.

Discussing how education relates to the workplace and how working relates to life will only give our children a realistic view and expectation of what’s to come.

As parents, our number one job is to raise children to become self-sufficient adults who contribute to society in a helpful way. This is just one small step in achieving that parenting goal. So – who’s taking their kiddos to work on April 27th?