We've entered the season for #TYCTWD aka Take Your Child to Work Day.  The official day this year is next Wednesday, April 26th.  Kronos celebrated our day this week.  It's school vacation week in Massachusetts - where we are headquartered - and this makes it a little easier for the parents of the 8-11 year olds we invite to manage their vacationing children for the day.

Kronos has celebrated this day for many years, and we've learned some lessons about how to do it right.  Not sticking religiously to the "official" day is one of those lessons.  You can learn a few others in this helpful article from Kronos Chief People Officer Dave Almeda, How to Plan a Great Take Your Children to Work Day

I took my mother  to work with me once in 1992 - where I was teaching a seminar in Hong Kong.  She of the double major in Chemistry and German stayed home with my siblings and me, a product of her generation.  She struggled mightily with my decision to go back to work after my daughter was born in 1988.  I took her on that trip to Hong Kong so we could have an adventure together, but the outcome was much more important than that for both of us.

During that trip, I was leading an international team of consultants on a training mission around the world.  My mother sat in on one of the sessions that I taught.  That night, four years after the birth of my daughter, she told me that although she'd doubted my decision to be a working mother, she'd decided that day that I'd done the right thing.  She told me that she'd never had the experience of having a roomful of adults pay attention to what she had to say, and that I'd be nuts to ever give that up.

In response to a post I wrote 10 years ago, about whether #TYCTWD was still relevant, my then 20 year old daughter posted the following comment:

As my mother mentioned, I'm not necessarily looking to go into her profession, nor is my brother; and we have both spent days at our parents' offices where nothing more happened than we sat quietly and did homework while they carried out their normal business. The most important part of any TYCHWD is not exposure or inspiration, but something several others have mentioned: bonding. Just because I may not have gotten the clearest idea of what my mother did each day, it doesn't mean that I didn't get something out of TYCHWD. If anything, the plugged-in, on-the-go, never-stop world we live in requires more things like TYCHWD, because honestly, we kids will take what time we can get.

In the last 10 years, smartphones have become ubiquitous and the "plugged-in, on-the-go, never-stop world" my daughter referenced then is spinning even faster.  Organizations have gotten a little more flexible, and more fathers as well as mothers are taking advantage of that flexibility to spend more time with their children.  And yet, I bet many of those children attending #TYCTWD events this year would share my daughter's perspective that anything that allows them a little extra time and attention from their working parents is more relevant than ever.

 

 

Kronos' Take Your Child to Work DayLast week, Kronos held our 10th annual Take Your Child to Work Day, with 90 Kronite kids ranging from ages 8 through 11 in attendance. It's one of our very favorite days in the office every year, and it was inspired by the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work® program, which just so happens to be recognized today this year - April 28th.

Not familiar with the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work® initiative? Here's their mission:

“Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® encourages girls and boys across the country to dream without gender limitations and to think imaginatively about their family, work and community lives. This national, public education program connects what children learn at school with the actual working world. Children learn that a family-friendly work environment is an employer and family issue and not just a woman's issue. Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work helps girls and boys across the nation discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life.”

This year's event at Kronos was centered around the theme of "Unleashing Your Superpower." The day focused on teaching employees' children how challenging themselves and thinking of others can impact their future success. Throughout the event, the kids participated in educational and charitable (and fun!) activities, which included cooking up homemade dog treats for Canine Commitment of New England, a rescue shelter based in New Hampshire; learning that knowledge is a real superpower by prepping a package of books to be donated to needy children; packing backpacks to donate to School on Wheels Massachusetts; and creating cards and care packages for a unit deployed overseas. As an even more special treat, the day kicked off by the kids being able to hear from real-life superheroes: active duty commissioned officers in the U.S. Army National Guard, Major Geoffrey Leonard and Captain Danielle Sullivan. (You can see all of the photos from the day here).

Our main goal with this event every year is to encourage our children to think big when it comes to their future careers - while also giving parents a day to share their workplace with their kids. This program really does provide a way for kids to learn about what opportunities they have for their future, and it truly is a special day here at Kronos headquarters.

I know there are people who question whether kids get much insight out of these events about the world of work.  What they do get is time with their working parents. Family friendly organizations that make this shared experience possible may have a more lasting impact than they think.   See the quote below written by my (now 28 year old) daughter in 2012:

As my mother mentioned, I'm not necessarily looking to go into her profession, nor is my brother; and we have both spent days at our parents' offices where nothing more happened than we sat quietly and did homework while they carried out their normal business. The most important part of any TYCHWD is not exposure or inspiration, but something several others have mentioned: bonding. Just because I may not have gotten the clearest idea of what my mother did each day, it doesn't mean that I didn't get something out of TYCHWD. If anything, the plugged-in, on-the-go, never-stop world we live in requires more things like TYCHWD, because honestly, we kids will take what time we can get.

 

 

I took my mother (pictured here) to work with me once in 1992 - in Hong Kong.  She of the double major in Chemistry and German stayed home with my siblings and me, a product of her generation.  She struggled mightily with my decision to go back to work after my daughter was born in 1988.  I took her on that trip to Hong Kong so we could have an adventure together, but the outcome was much more important than that for both of us.

During that trip, I was leading an international team of consultants on a training mission around the world.  My mother sat in on one of the sessions that I taught.  That night, six years after the birth of my daughter, she told me that although she'd doubted my decision to be a working mother, she'd decided that day that I'd done the right thing.  She told me that she'd never had the experience of having a roomful of adults pay attention to what she had to say, and that I'd be nuts to ever give that up.

I wrote here 4 years ago about whether Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is still relevant.  Four years later, this program is even more generously supported here at Kronos, with a day of fun and educational activities for the many kids who attend.  You can even follow today's events at Kronos on Facebook.

In response to my original musings a few years ago, my daughter (now 24) posted the following comment:

As my mother mentioned, I'm not necessarily looking to go into her profession, nor is my brother; and we have both spent days at our parents' offices where nothing more happened than we sat quietly and did homework while they carried out their normal business. The most important part of any TYCHWD is not exposure or inspiration, but something several others have mentioned: bonding. Just because I may not have gotten the clearest idea of what my mother did each day, it doesn't mean that I didn't get something out of TYCHWD. If anything, the plugged-in, on-the-go, never-stop world we live in requires more things like TYCHWD, because honestly, we kids will take what time we can get.

In the balance, Mum, there were trade offs.

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