April 28th — Take Your Children to Work Day

Did you ever have Career Day when you were in school?

That was the day you put those unexciting grammar and math lessons aside, walked down to the school cafeteria or gymnasium and got to meet all sorts of different people. There were hairstylists and lawyers, truck drivers, policemen and more, all eager to tell you about what their jobs were like.

It was fun, but what if instead of them coming to see you, you could go see them? April 28th is Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day, and it was intended to give kids the chance to do exactly that.

Taking your children to work with you for a day might be a great way to impart some life lessons to them. You check on homework assignments, participate in parent-teacher conferences and take them to after-school activities.

You get to see a lot of your child’s world. Why not give them a chance to see yours? 

The day will require a little planning on your part.

Speak with your employer and see if they participate or are willing to participate. You’ll want to talk with your child about what they’re interested in seeing, or what type of work they’re interested in.  You’ll also want to set expectations.

It’s a work environment after all, not a trip to Disneyland.

Try to engage them in what you’re doing— not just shadowing, but understanding what you do and why you do it. 

It's been said that experience is the best teacher, so why not give them a hands-on preview of what they can expect beyond the classroom?