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Subscribe to RSSThe Squawk Box's children tell viewers what they learned from spending the day on the set and in the television studio on "Take Your Kids to Work" day.
Thursday is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work day, although perhaps you didn't notice.
The annual event, started 20 years ago as a way to expose girls and young women to workplace and career opportunities, has attracted less attention in recent years.
Perhaps it’s another thing to blame on The Great Recession and slow economic recovery. The high joblessness that has plagued the economy for five years has left many parents without work.
It’s also left those who are lucky enough to have a job nervous about holding onto it. That may mean it's not a great time for your child to say something embarrassing to your boss, spill soda on the keyboard or keep you from getting a day’s worth of work done.
There’s also the matter of how work has changed. Even two years ago, The New York Times noted that many kids already see their parents working a lot, because so many people now take their work home.
There have also been other criticisms of the event. Julie Drizin, director of the Journalism Center on Children and Families, wrote this week that she wouldn’t be participating after realizing that people who work long hours in low-wage jobs probably aren’t able to, either.
“I’ve come to believe that Take Your Daughters And Sons to Work Day is largely a feel-good exercise for the privileged,” she wrote.
Of course, many will participate. Carolyn McKecuen, president of the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation, said that while some organizations have stopped participating, other companies have joined.
She doesn’t think there has been a big drop in participation, although she conceded the group has not done an exact accounting.
That’s partly because the organization, an offshoot of the Ms. Foundation, has itself been hit hard by the recession. It now operates on about a quarter of its former budget because of a drop in big donors.
McKecuen said some have used the day to speak frankly about the current economy. She said she has heard of unemployed parents getting together with their children to discuss how to write a resume and look for a job.
Times have changed since the event began 20 years ago solely for girls, later expanding to include boys.
McKecuen, who has two boys, thinks including both genders has been valuable.
“Guys need to know if they want to be a nurse they can be a nurse. They don’t have to fly a plane,” she said.
“The reason we started this has changed very little over the years,” she said. “It was designed to expose youth to what (their parents) do in their lives during the workday, and the demands and the possibilities in the workplace.”
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From reading the comments I noticed a few of you say this creates entitlements towards children. That's idiotic. Taking your child to work is just a day off for kids that I believe they should get because most kids do gain something out of it. They go to their parents work and see what they do and begin to realize that once they are out of school life doesn't get easy, some kids usually find out school is far easier than anything in the job markets. It doesn't tell kids anything about entitlements, it's just a way to give a kid an idea about how the work place works. I grew up as a military brat and never was able to go to these holidays, I had to go to school while everyone was out and do work at school. This one day a year didn't make me a superior student, it just made me waste my day doing busy work that no kid was going to be forced to do when coming back. To suggest missing one day a year of school makes a difference is stupid. Why not just get rid of X-mas vacation? 2 weeks affect far more than 1 day. Oh wait, because it's not fair to the children to do that. Kids need a break from school, even if it's one day.
If the GOP lets big business have their way in a few years we can have: take your children to Sweatshop day. Of course there would be many eight year olds working there for pennies a day. And the wealthy owner of the Sweatshop will pay no taxes,because he's a "job creator"!
Yeah, that will really happen. I can't wait to hire some eight year olds.
We can teach our children work ethic by example, that does not mean we have to risk our lively hood to bring them into the workplace with us. With so many SINGLE parent's un/under-employed these days the last thing we'd want to present to our children is how stressful, over worked, corner cutting corporate america has become. Why show our children the reality of today's workplace and KILL what little naive hope they have that one day they'll go to college and be able to acquire gainful employment based on their skillset and education as opposed to their gender/religion/race/or military service record. America is lost, its values and principals are GONE wake up people and don't screw your kid's vision of a better America by showing them what CRAP it is today. They're our future and our only hope to change these things.
Think maybe if they see what "crap" awaits them they might make a change for their generations? America did not become crap by itself, its the people running the show. My father worked in a factory, I worked there for 2 weeks before I said "not me buddy" and paid my own way through school.
Our company doesn't allow anyone under 18 in our buildings so... no.
I forgot to mention its a building where all we have is cubicles with computers and technical people, the most dangerous thing we have is the stove at the cafeteria.
Companies are very wary now of getting sued for negligence.
I work at Olive Garden (am a student also) and I saw a poster about this in the kitchen...I would NEVER EVER EVER bring my kid to Olive Garden, that's the most depressing thing I've ever heard. What's worse, the poster talked about how maybe my children would grow up to work at OG too, and this will be their first restaurant experience! ugh vomit.
Like many have said, it all depends on the situation. Where I work they will get a tour of science labs, green houses, fire safety, data centers, robotics in action. An experience they can bring back to share in class. No dancing poles here.
Where I work, I don't know quite the policy on bringing children in, but I'm pretty sure it's a logistical headache -- part of the national laboratory system.
What destroyed it was when "Take Your Kid to Work Day" moved to "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" exclusively and rejected taking sons to work, period.
Besides, they'll be living at home jobless with tons of student loans (see boomerang generation) anyway so what's the point?
And.... my kids think ATM machines are printers. They need a wake up call.
ROFLMAO!!!
Tell your kids ATM != Printer ;-)
The good part is that if these state laws go into effect there are several states where the company could hire kids to work!! yippee!!
At my old company I suggested that, in order to make the experience more realistic, 10% of the children should be sent home at lunchtime, telling them they were being 'laid off'.
Oh, they still have this day?
Well, New York State decided to do their math testing this week... so most NYS students have been told that they CANNOT participate.
Our company used to do very well organized and fun "take your kids to work day" that had lots of participation. That stopped about two years ago (there's about 500 people on the campus I work at). I wish they would do them again. Instead, this week, we had our second annual "Earth Day" celebration. Management was frantically combing the hallways trying to get people to go outside and attend. I peeked out the window and noted about 20 people in attendance - pathetic.
The entire purpose of this event began with the model "Take Your Daughters to Work" ... to expose our girls to careers outside the umbrella of "women's work". When this project opened to include Bring Your Daughters and Sons to Work, the message and mission of the program were lost. Shortly after Take Your Daughter became Take Your Child, I read an article written by a woman, who wholeheartedly supported the original idea, but her fear that the project would soon become boy-oriented was realized. Large factories, laboratories, hospitals, etc. that set up tours for the children, quickly noticed girls were pushed to the back of the groups whenever a demonstration or a hands-on opportunity were given. Boys' questions were answered first. Girls ended up never raising their hands. In my opinion, what started out as a wonderfully exciting experience for girls, was destroyed by parents, who insisted their sons be included in every activity that presented itself. Twenty years ago, boys already knew they could become doctors, engineers, lawyers - girls did not. This special for-girls-only event hoped to erase that idea. It did not remain special very long.
I work in an office, and my employer would never allow me to bring a child with me to work, under any circumstances.
I think it can still be relevant. I went to work with my dad when I was in High School and he had a fabulous job ( I had no idea what he did before that). I had always gone to work with my mom for one reason or another, but not with my dad. I actually ended up following in his footsteps career-wise (which wasn't my plan at all). Of course my father wouldn't take me on the actual day because he wouldn't let me miss school, but I went on a day when I was off.
So, maybe it would be more acceptable in certain work places if you waited until your child is older and it is on a day during the summer or on a regular day off during the school year. I guess it also depends on the parent's job.
When I was really little, my mom took me to work with her if child care fell through. I would color with highlighters and sharpies under her desk all day. It was a pretty great office for mothers. I don't know of any employers that would allow that today. Of course I grew up knowing I never wanted to work in insurance. It seemed really boring. :)
All my life I have had jobs where kids were discouraged or even prevented from going. I guess if you have an office job it might be appropriate, but there is no place for kids in the service industry where they'd just have to sit in the truck instead of going inside with a parent to work on a $3 million computer or wire a network or climb a radio transmission tower. Yes, not everyone has a job like that, but many jobs are just not the place to take a kid.
New Idea: SEND your kids to work day. Let them get some real experience with the work force, what they must do, how much they are being paid for it, how long they are allowed for lunch and what is required to hold down a job. I'm figuring it will send school retention and college matriculation rates soaring!
If I don't have kids can I bring my pet? I would love a bring your pet to work day.
In all seriousness though, I'm on the fence about this one. Most of the time it's just the parents working and the kids playing on computers somewhere. And it can be a distraction to employees who don't have children who are just trying to have a normal work day. I think that there are probably some professions where kids would take a genuine interest in the program, but I don't see the value in this for parents who work in a traditional office. I write a lot for my job - would my kid just sit there and watch me write? That's so boring.
And, if your goal is to teach your kid work ethic, shouldn't that already be happening at home? One day at your office isn't going to teach them anything. Consistent chores, responsibilities and rewards for good home and school work are more likely to have an the desired outcome.