A Light Hearted Story - Did anyone else do this today?

PhillieG · April 2009

Today was "Take your kid to work day". I believe it started in 1993 as a take your daughter to work thing so they could see how they could have many different employment opportunities. It soon became "take your kid to work day". 6 years ago I took my oldest son, Dylan to the work day (he was really 8 and the age range is 9-15 but I got him in). He really enjoyed it and so did I. They organize a project for the kids for the morning, always something educationally oriented since I work for a text schoolbook publisher, then after lunch your child gets to shadow you around for the remainder of the day. Well Dylan and I did this for a bunch of years. There were 2 times that I recall where he could not go with me due to me having surgery but he always had fun. Sometimes the kids will work on designing a classroom of the future and what they'd like to see in it to other times designing book covers.

Well this year I got to take our other son Griffin with me for this day. While they have bother visited me at work over the years, there is something special when you kids see you "in action" as it may be. They always see you as Dad around the house or as their Mom's husband but to see me do what it is I do I think they get a better understanding of me and my life outside of the house. So now when I go to work, the boys know what that entails. One thing that they changed this year, and I heard other companies cut back on things, was they was no free lunch. I guess it's a good lesson because there really aren't any free lunches in life, or at least not many. The first year though, they had a 6 ft long PB&J hero sandwich. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen sandwich-wise. I do think this is a very good idea for young kids, They get to see what type of opportunities are out there for themselves for when they get older and have to think of what they want to do in life. There is a saying that I'm sure many of us have heard before. It goes "Love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life" or something close to that. I think that is such a wonderful concept and it certainly is true. There have been jobs where I was AT WORK (not having fun) and other jobs, like where I am now, that I do enjoy going to (for the most part). Sometimes it's a real challenge to get there as I'm sure many of you know from your own experience.

So, that's it. No real moral to this post other than it's always great to spend time with your kids and that you always want the best for them.
-phil

tootsie1 · April 2009

love my kids
There's nothing I've done in life that's more important than becoming a mother.

*hugs*
Gail

kimby · April 2009

Memories
Phil,

That is wonderful! You are creating memories that are very important. You are building a relationship that you will be grateful for when they are grown and gone. Those little things are HUGE. You are an awesome dad and your sons will be good to your grandchildren. Way to go!

Kimby

CherylHutch · April 2009

6 Foot PB&J!!!
Hey Phil!!

Wow... I bet this one day at work with Dad had more impact every year than you probably even imagined it would! I remember, only too well as a kid, thinking that my friends' parents all had interesting jobs or lives or whatever... but that my dad was just plain old "dad". Mom was a stay-at-home mom, so she was just plain old "mom". It never dawned on me as a kid that when Dad left in the morning to go to work that maybe he actually did other things other than just being a Dad. I just knew he went to the "office" and then he came home and was dad.

Back in those days, we didn't have a day at the office when kids could go in with the parent to see what they did or to see them "in action" so to speak. I can only imagine what an eye-opener that would have been for me when I was a kid

Hehehe... I can almost imagine what was going through Dylan's head after that first year. "Wow! Dad gets to go to that office where all this fun stuff happens and then at lunch, they get to have 6 foot long PB&J sandwiches EVERY day!!!"

Now, Griffin gets to make his own memories of what it's like when Super Dad goes to work... minus the giant PB&J sandwiches, of course

Huggggggs,

Cheryl

PhillieG · April 2009

kimby said:
Memories
Phil,

That is wonderful! You are creating memories that are very important. You are building a relationship that you will be grateful for when they are grown and gone. Those little things are HUGE. You are an awesome dad and your sons will be good to your grandchildren. Way to go!

Kimby

:-)
Thanks Kimby, I try to do my best. I know a secret...I'm not going to live forever ;-)
It helps.
-p

PhillieG · April 2009

CherylHutch said:
6 Foot PB&J!!!
Hey Phil!!

Wow... I bet this one day at work with Dad had more impact every year than you probably even imagined it would! I remember, only too well as a kid, thinking that my friends' parents all had interesting jobs or lives or whatever... but that my dad was just plain old "dad". Mom was a stay-at-home mom, so she was just plain old "mom". It never dawned on me as a kid that when Dad left in the morning to go to work that maybe he actually did other things other than just being a Dad. I just knew he went to the "office" and then he came home and was dad.

Back in those days, we didn't have a day at the office when kids could go in with the parent to see what they did or to see them "in action" so to speak. I can only imagine what an eye-opener that would have been for me when I was a kid

Hehehe... I can almost imagine what was going through Dylan's head after that first year. "Wow! Dad gets to go to that office where all this fun stuff happens and then at lunch, they get to have 6 foot long PB&J sandwiches EVERY day!!!"

Now, Griffin gets to make his own memories of what it's like when Super Dad goes to work... minus the giant PB&J sandwiches, of course

Huggggggs,

Cheryl

PB&J

As Maxwell Smart might have said "That's the second largest PB&J sandwich I've ever seen".
The boys have stopped by here and there but to spend all day was just the best. He was so good too. I asked him last night if Friday was "Bring your Dad to school day" but he said 'no'.
:-(
I/we are looking forward to next year. I know what you mean about the old days, one would never even think of going with a parent to work. I am really glad we have progressed as a society to see how helpful this can be toward a child's development. Plus, we had FUN!!!
{{hugs}}}
-p

dianetavegia · April 2009

I recently read one of those
I recently read one of those forwards about a father who had died at a ripe old age and the son found a journal. Son remembered one day in his life when he and Dad went fishing and didn't catch anything but they sat in the boat, ate pbj's and talked for hours. Son looked up that day and Dad said 'Bad day for fishing. Nothing really happened' yet that day had been one of the best days in the kid's life.

Congrats on being a GREAT Dad who will be remembered for generations and generations!

Hubby's Dad had polio and Jim never remembers seeing his Dad outside of an iron lung or on the rocking bed (weeks before death). What he DOES remember, is sitting by the iron lung in the hospital each afternoon after school and talking with his Daddy about music and sports. He was 7 when his Dad died of polio. Our grandchildren know all about Great Grandpa Jack and his love of music and sports.

kimby · April 2009

PhillieG said:
:-)
Thanks Kimby, I try to do my best. I know a secret...I'm not going to live forever ;-)
It helps.
-p

Phil
I think you know THE secret. Most people don't really know that...

A Light Hearted Story - Did anyone else do this today?

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