Does Bringing Kids to Work Change How They See Mom?

Posted April 23, 2009

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Do you bring your kids to work?

Posted Thursday, April 23, 2009 by Jackie Morgan MacDougall

It's that time of year again! It's the day parents are permitted to pull their little angels out of school and proudly present them to their co-workers during "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work" day. The event, which was originally designed to empower girls as Take Our Daughters To Work Day, is now open to not just the children living in our homes but "all our nation's daughters and sons, from housing authorities and shelters, nieces and nephews, neighbors and friends, and more," according to the event's Website.

I guess that's what happens when we as girls demand our way onto football teams and into the Boy Scouts, right?

Their site, which offers tips to making the most of the day, describes their program as more than a career day where kids can "shadow" an adult. Instead, they aim to not only show girls and boys that what a parent or mentor does during the work day is important, but also to help kids envision their own futures and begin to take steps to begin reaching their goals.

I remember before becoming a mom, finding that day nothing more than a disruption. But that was probably because most parents didn't follow the 'kids between 8 and 18' guideline, instead using it as a day to save money on childcare. Seriously, there's nothing more difficult than trying to prepare for a meeting with a toddler climbing all over the place - your own or someone else's - and probably the reason we all don't work from home.

But now as a working mom, I see the day as an opportunity, one where my boys can discover men and women working together as equals toward a common goal... where my daughter can see that she can achieve anything she sets her mind to.

My little ones are aware that mommy has a job and have even come to hang out in my office on occasion, but I look forward to them understanding that when I leave them each morning, I contribute to something of importance, something that could actually make a difference. I was given that gift as a child, following my much older sister to work one day. I came away seeing a smart, confident, and valuable human being - someone I hadn't gotten to know before -- changing my perception of women everywhere.

So grab your coffee mugs and lock up your paperweights, because while the next generation has arrived for their career life lesson, they're still kids. And those rugrats can get pretty messy.

Jackie Morgan MacDougall, on the never-ending quest for balance, enjoys life in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and their three small kids.

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