April 28 marks Take Your Kids to Work Day. This is not just a “career day” per se, but it is also a chance to show children what their parents do day in and day out. It is both a shadowing experience and a time for kids to understand what is involved in their parents’ lives.
Not to mention on Take Our Kids to Work Day, adults have the opportunity to show their children the impact that they make via the work that they do. In demonstrating to kids the importance of cultural and societal implications through business and work, people can help younger generations envision more productive and dynamic futures.
A few facts about Take Our Kids to Work Day:
- This originally began as Take Your Daughter to Work Day.
- In 2003, it was expanded to include sons as well.
- Yearly almost 40 million Americans participate in Take Our Kids to Work Day.
- The program also encourages American workers to invite children who reside in shelters and therefore don’t have this type of opportunity.
As you can see, there is a tremendous value attached to Take Our Kids to Work Day. If you do have a child or know children who might benefit from spending a day at your office or on your job site, this is the ideal chance to expose them to what a career in your field might look like.
Tips for Take Our Kids to Work Day
1) Be sure and check with your manager or supervisor. Give your manager the courtesy of letting them know that your child will be at work. Primarily, make sure that there are no key meetings or huge deadlines scheduled for that day. Also, check to see if it is okay for your child to stay for the entire day. Can you get extra time for lunch with your child? Be sure to ask essential questions not to disrupt the office but make the occasion effective and enjoyable.
2) Have a plan for your visit. You don’t want your child to be bored, of course. You want them to come away from this excited by what they experience and what they see. Ideally, they will emerge from Take Our Kids to Work Day with hopes and dreams about their futures. So, what types of activities can you plan that might help engage your child? Are there any hands-on activities that they could do? Any unique places or people they might visit while at the office? Make it fun and exciting for your child.
3) Make sure to let the school know. You always want to make the school aware of when you will be taking your child off-campus. Be sure to get any homework or schoolwork that they might miss. For the most part, schools support Take Our Kids to Work Day. Just keep the lines of communication open.
4) Have a “pre” workday meeting with your child. Talk about expectations, both yours and theirs. Preparing your child for what they can expect and what they might be doing is essential to a successful Take Our Kids to Work Day. Also, inform them about appropriate behavior and how they might dress when they are in your workplace.
Benefits of Take Our Kids to Work Day
Why participate and Take Our Kids to Work Day? There are numerous benefits to allowing your child to participate. Among them:
It helps enhance problem-solving skills. Indeed, children learn a great deal in the classroom. Studies, however, suggest that children learn even more by doing and seeing firsthand. You are offering that firsthand experience. The simple act of observation can significantly impact a child’s life.
They gain insight into time management. Time management may not mean anything to a kid right now. However, being in the office with you and watching you juggle various tasks and manage your responsibilities could be very eye-opening to show them how time management truly works. This might even inspire them to try new approaches to their own time management needs.
They gain an appreciation for what you do. For many children, their parents’ lives beyond the home are something of a mystery. By taking your child to work, you unlock a part of that mystery. You show them who you are in a different context. And this, in turn, might give them a different kind of appreciation for what you do.
They can see at-work behaviors. Children aren’t always aware of how they should behave in a formal setting such as an office or workplace. You can give them this knowledge on Take Our Kids to Work Day. This helps prepare them for their career and professional future.
First Union Lending Wants to Help
We offer a variety of loan programs to suit just about every small business out there, even for those companies where credit score is a concern. We offer short-term loans, merchant cash advances, and bridge loans, among other financing types. With resources ranging from $5000 to $1 million, we have the money you need, not weeks or months from now. Call today and let’s get started.