SURVEY SAYS: Taking the Kids to Work Today?

This week I asked readers how they would be spending the day.

Well, only about 6% of this week’s respondents were actually bringing their kids to work today, and only 1% were helping out with the day’s “events,” although 3.6% said they were involved with “more than one of the above” (just one reader said they were afraid they would be tapped to help).  

Ironically, 9% said they were disappointed that their kids were too young to participate – and 9% said they were disappointed that their kids were too old to participate.

But, for the most part, it doesn’t seem to be a big deal any more.   Nearly half of this week’s respondents ( 44.2% ) said that their workplace doesn’t recognize the day, and another quarter ( 26% ) opted for “other.”   It’s difficult to characterize the “other” group, but suffice it to say that most won’t be involved in the day’s activities, either because (a) their workplace doesn’t recognize it, (b) their school district won’t allow it, (c) they work at home, (d) their kids are too old to participate, (e) their kids are too young to participate, (f) their kids have too many legs to participate, or (g) they don’t have kids to participate.

Good News, Bad News

This week’s generous share of verbatims were an interesting mix of voices both praising – and condemning – the concept behind the day.   Here’s a sampling:  

“My children are grown but always loved this day, mostly because they got to miss school more than the fact they were coming to my office. I love kids, so working with the children of my co-workers is really enjoyable for me. We go all out to make it a really fun day for the kids and their parents .”

“This is a no doubt well-intentioned but, ultimately for most people, really, really dumb, idea. How many people have jobs that can accommodate a child being involved? Beat cops? Teachers? Construction workers? Lawyers? When I am in the office it is because I have work to do–work that an 11-year-old is not likely to be interested in or able to participate in, understand, or even stay out of the way of. The upshot is that I have to ask my kid to stay home, and feel like a jerk for so doing.”

“The best days of my career were the days I brought my daughters to my office and to luncheon meetings with clients. Can’t wait until I can take the grandkids.”

“I’ve always felt that this event is disruptive to the staff and mostly boring to the kids. How can a desk job possibly be interesting to an 11-year-old?”

“I wish that they could expand the age to include HS kids – it is at that age where kids need exposure to different careers and would value the opportunity to experience some exposure. Every year, our company program is improved and more interactive. It really is a wonderful day for all kids.”

“We do offer it here, but we put the onus on the employees who want to bring in their kids to serve on the committee to design the morning’s activities. This year, no one volunteered to serve on the committee, so we have no activities planned. Instead, kids will come in with their parents, have breakfast in our conference room, and then spend the morning with their parents at their desk (can you say – boring?) until lunchtime, when they must take them back to school. How educational can this really be? Color me skeptical. :-)”

“My company used to support the day, but the employees tended to use it as free day care and not participate with their children. The process was stopped about 3 years ago.”

“Take your ‘kids’ to work day is a really great way of showing kids the ‘inner workings’ of business….it’s also fun to get away from the office for the day!”

What Kids Learn

And there were situations where the kids actually got a chance to see what Mom and Dad did:

“Even though the kids are now ages 21 and 25, it would be great to share again what their good old dad does for a living, and to remind them to contribute to their 401(k) plans early and often!”

“At 13 months and 2 1/2, my daughters are too young to participate (company policy only allows kids 8 and older), but I look forward to the day when I can bring them in. My older daughter already bangs on the keyboard of the computer and says, ‘I work on the “puter” just like Mommy!’ It will be nice to show them where and how (if not why) I spend all that time away from them.”

“My daughter is 30. She has a great job of her own, now. This is largely because she came to work with me when ever we could arrange it. She could make copies at 6, stuff envelopes by 8, fax by 10. By the time she was 16, she had a real good feel for how offices work and corporate politics. A real plus was that when I said I had a rotten day, she understood completely. Do I support bringing kids to work? Absolutely!”

“Well, I don’t have any sons or daughters, but if I did, I can’t imagine bringing them to work and trying to keep them entertained all day while still trying to do my job. What, am I going to have them do some ADP tests or perhaps complete a 5500 for me? Yikes!”

“My daughter’s class has a field trip scheduled for Thursday. I think she’d rather go to the zoo than my office.”

Suggestions for Improvement

There were, of course, suggestions for improvement:  

“Our company does recognize the importance of bringing your daughter/son to work, but we do it in the summer when they do not have to miss a day of school to attend. We find attendance is very good because of this change. We also allow nieces/nephews and/or grandchildren.”

“They need to consider moving this event up a week, at least in Texas, as the Spring Football practice started this week!”

“I still think we are aiming this day at the wrong children. I believe that those who are brought to work probably already have a sense of what work is all about. I propose, as I have for years, that each company that wants to be part of this event should adopt a class in a school where the parents/guardians/caregivers may not have the same kinds of professional/job opportunities as do those in the adopting company. I want ALL kids to understand that they can have aspirations that can be fulfilled through education, desire, and motivation.”

And, while most who expressed an opinion saw it as a productivity drag, at least one reader noted, “While I’ve helped with the program in the past, this year, I’m hoping the gaggle of kids distracts the employees sufficiently enough to let me get some work off my desk.”

Another noted, “Thinking about teacher work days, why don’t we get days where customers can’t call so we can get some work done? Oh, forgot, that’s weekends and evenings.”

“Our employees are childish enough; why add real children?” asked another.

But this week’s Editor’s Choice said that, for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, they would be… “Hoping that my son and daughter will get a job and go to work.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

as far as I know, (g)

I didn't think this existed any longer.

G and H. I am not sure how productive or helpful my 15 month old would be. But I bet he'd be entertaining!

:0)

G        workplace does not recognize

H - other.   No official recognition this year, as I am the only one who coordinates events related to it and I have been too busy with other priorities.   Imaging this - no one has offered to help set up activities, but a few have made time to stop by my office and complain that I haven't advertised anything about it!

In days gone by I took my children to work or had them go to work with a friend.   After all, how many times do they REALLY want to see what mom does?   So this year, f, g, & h.   My babies are 18, 21, & 23.   They are too old, don't care anymore, and the current employer doesn't participate in that type of thing.   I think that it is a valuable day though, both for them to see what you do and for them to get some career ideas for themselves.

I brought my daughter to work one year, and she said the one thing she knows she doesn't want to do is work in employee benefits.   She thought I had a very boring job.   I did take her to her favorite restaurant for lunch, and she enjoyed that.   She's 16 years old now, and considers herself too old to participate in things like that now, although I am sure she would still be glad to let me take her to lunch.

This year, my husband is taking our son, age 11, to work with him.   My husband is an R.N. at a children's hospital.   He works the night shift in a post-anesthesia care unit, which apparently is usually not very busy since not many surgeries are performed during the night.   I think my son will have a blast, and then fall asleep.   We'll see.

H. Feeling guilty for not inviting my sons to join me for the day.

My job involves traveling every day - to provide on site service to our clients.  So, I am very blessed to work in a position where my office is in my home. My daughter gets to see me working - sometimes far more often than I might like.

BUT, she has a basic understanding of what I do and takes great joy in helping me with minor efforts, like taking papers out of the printer, bringing in the mail, opening mail, and any small task that a young child can safely handle.

I remember helping my dad nights and weekends by filing and typing.  Someday, when she is a bit older, I hope to let her help me in those small ways to earn extra money so she can get a feel for the power of working for a living.