This Thursday is Take Your Child to Work Day, for some of us this happens everyday (shout out to those Work-at-Home moms) and for others it could mean introducing your son or daughter to the corporate world. For me it means helping them realize that their momma works hard. It means showing them that it takes careful dedication and determination as well as discipline to run your own business. As an entrepreneur I struggle to find and my children cease to see that there is a balance between work and family, even if at times the ‘balance’ consists of prioritizing tasks and knocking them out as a team. It takes a village to raise children and I know that I want my children to be a key part of the “raising and growth” of my business, so I take them to work with me regularly (this is definitely a perk of being my own boss) but this Thursday my son Riley will be joining me in the salon as my business partner/junior associate.
I remember being so excited to get a day out of school when I was a kid and am sure that is the same expectation that my ten year-old has, little does he know I have a game plan and a strategy to introduce him to the “real world” and give him a glimpse at what really happens behind the chair during the busy, hectic, rewarding, calculated chaos of my day-to-day. Here are my tips for organizing the chaos, and enjoying your #TakeYourChildToWork day.
Pack a Bag
Just because your child is above toddler age does not mean having their own source or bag that they can use to fulfill their own needs is a no-g0. In fact this will help eliminate the interruptions and never ending questions of “Hey Mom, where’s my…..?”
Dress the Part
Go over this the night before and lay out clothes for/ with your child so that there are less moments of panic in the morning. It is fun for children to step it up a notch and get jazzed up, this also allows them to differentiate between personal and professional and instills the lesson that you have to dress for success/ look the part!
Set Ground Rules
The day can be long…no whining, no fighting, and no nonsense. These are my rules every time my children are in the salon with me when guests and my other stylists are present. Every time. I encourage them to take a breath and a step away if they need it and to come back when they are ready to talk to me like a co-worker. I also realize and explain to my kids that just like an adult we all have bad moments- it doesn’t have to turn into a bad day!
Assign Tasks
It would be easy to give them busy-work or encourage them to study what they will be missing at school, but why not come up with some age correlated tasks and see what their response is? You might uncover a skillset neither one of you realized your child has and encourage growth in that area! Besides if they love alphabetizing, or sweeping, filling out forms, or even dreaming up a new marketing campaign etc. You now know and have the perfect person for the job on those in-service days!
Pack Snacks
It’s easy for us as adults to get caught up in the chaos of the day and forget to eat, but children will remind you, and if they are anything like mine 30 minutes past the first “I’m hungry” and suddenly they’re HANGRY.
Celebrate Success
Plan a happy-hour whether it is at home with root beer floats or a sundae with the rest of the family to recap the days events, make a plan to celebrate a day spent together. Who knows, a day spent in your shoes and they might find some new understanding and respect…and realize that the money they want to buy toys and video games doesn’t magically reload onto “the card” or grow on trees.