Seven Lessons from my Daughter on "Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day"

On this, the second “Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day” during the pandemic, it strikes me that for many of us in the workforce, our children have been with us at work for more than a year! And while the original purpose of this day was to teach our children about what we do and acquaint them with the workplace, the twist is that as a result of so many of us working from home, we have learned lessons from them.

In my case, I have learned a lot from my daughter, who is at my side often. Here are 7 key lessons:

1. Make Space: Block off the right time. This will allow you to be able to do drop offs and pickups and ensure lunches are taken care of!
2. Make choices: You will not be able to be everywhere, so pick what is priority. Is it the ballet lesson or is it a critical meeting? Get support to cover your priority for the day. 
3. Get Comfortable: Designate a specific space to work for yourself, ideally separate from a bedroom or kitchen table, if space allows. Let your child find their own space, too. Help them make it their own.
4. Recharge: Take your lunch in a different room and talk to family about your day. And if weather allows, take a walk around the block after.
5. Expect the Unexpected: Disruptions happen – and that’s OK. Try creating a system for telling your family when it is ok to interrupt your work and when you need time to focus.
6. Learn from each other: I learned a new way of doing math, and my daughter learned how turn on a background filter for virtual meetings.
7. Don’t forget to log off: Turn off your computer at night and make a to-do list for the next day to help you separate work life and home life.

 Next year, many of us will be back in the office – some full-time, some a few times a week – and the above lessons can still apply. Whether our children are with us at work, or we are with them at home, the idea of helping them understand what we do, and what it means to be part of the workforce, are valuable lessons wherever they are learned.