Last Friday, I had a status with one of my client leaders. So, I walked up to his corner office and with a light knock, I pushed the door. On a small conference table in the office, there was a little girl watching something on an iPad.
The leader on his desk was busy with his work.
I instantly smiled, walked in, said hello to the little one and the leader explained that this little girl was his daughter. Then the story he shared made me smile.
At 8:30 am that morning, she had stomach-ache. It was too much to go to school.
At 9:30 am, she announced that we wanted to go to Appa’s office.
The leader shared that once in a while, he brings his older daughter to work. He thinks that the kids should see how the money finds a way home. Going to office, working, meetings and floor walks, there is never a free day at work. It also instills the desire to be independent. She was on her own in his office. Watching videos, reading, drawing and finding a way to the ladies rest room. She also tried to use the white board and asked for cartoon pictures while we spoke about various things. Little did she know one had even walked in her father’s office for a status.
All right reasons that made me believe these are little things but will be remembered by A. As she will grow up to work, she will talk about Appa’s office and how she spent a day there.
I have spoken about Take your daughter to work before but this little tete-a-tete on Friday made me smile. It was sure a happy way to ring in the weekend.
P.S. Appa means father in Tamil.
Writing for MicroblogMondays #185 today.
happiness and food 
My daughters always wanted to come with me to work. But, since I worked in the ER, we weren’t allowed to participate in “Take your daughters to work day”. I love that people are able to bring their kids to work, it is important to see where the money comes from. Thanks for sharing this.
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Your workplace may give them more than they need. But yes, it is a from a concept angle, this is good.
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I used to drop my daughter on my bike to school and attend my work, and later on pick up my daughter from school at 3.30 p.m and keep her with me till 5.30 at my office where I worked, as there was no one to pick her up. I used to continue my work and sometimes I had to visit the slums or a rehab home as part of my work, my daughter would be in my office, completing her homework, coloring and playing computer games from class 1 to 5, my colleagues were very fond of her and took care in my absence too. later on she had to go to high school which was far away. I would bring her to the university in the early hours during summer holidays to swim in the campus pool and bring her to my centre; and give her some work to decorate our notice board, and ask her to file some of the papers with me:) she used to come till she came to class 8. Now she is intermediate and has made friends, watches tv and does not like to come to my workplace:) while she never went to Appa’s office, but Amma yes she will have memories…
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How lovely! So glad she was able to get to your office. Appa or Amma, it’s the same Angela. Thank you for sharing these lovely memories. You should write about these.
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Nice read
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Thank you!
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Awwww, so sweet 🙂
I think it is very important for kids to know how the moolah comes home. As much as kids annoy me at the workplace, we need to have one such day just so children could see the effort the parents put in at work.
A very heartwarming post, Parul! ❤
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Some kids are quiet. Those ones won’t annoy 😉 thank you Soumya!
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My husband’s office has a day in December when all the kids are invited to office to see what their mum/dad does. He also encourages new recruits to bring their parents to step inside the office and check out for themselves how safe their ‘children’ are. This was more on the early days of the organisation when most of the new employees were fresh graduate females working at their first job .
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Lucky girl!
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I would say she is 🙂
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I used to go to teh office quite a bit with my dad. But, I feel that my own kids haven’t been going at all. Thanks for the idea, I think I’m going to start sending the kids to office once in a while to see how hard it actually is to earn 🙂
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These children going to work must be well-behaved! I’m not so sure a child would be so quiet and independent. Though in a place where I worked, it was common to bring in secondary school-aged children to work experience, or even for after-work jobs. They learned what their parents did, they earned a bit of money themselves too, and they got to talk with others with different life experience.
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I really love the idea of getting your children to office on certain days. My office is not so pro on this due to its policies. But, I can never forget the days I spent at my Papa’s office. It would be generally in the afternoons. It was like a treat. He would put me on the front of the bicycle and paddle to work. Then the next few hours while he worked, I would spend time look and touching the stationary, listening to the sounds of the office, the typewriter ting, tappings on the typewriter, phones ringing, dot matrix printers blaring at its own pace. It was surely bliss.
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I wish there could be a regular, ” bring your child to office day” in organisations!
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Many companies have.
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I like the idea of letting kids understand how money finds its way to home. Makes them responsible too. I remember all the times I had been to my dad’s office. Reminds me of how I too badly wanted to work in an office like that. Love this snippet from your life 😊
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What a cutie, following he dad to Appa’s office. I wonder if she will look back on this time with fond memories. Maybe you might as you said. It sounds like she entertained herself very well and didn’t disturb anyone. Appa who brought her sounds like he wants her to be a progressive, forward minded and independent woman when she grows up 🙂 It is usually by giving things a go that we learn and learn how to find our two feet. I agree it’s important to see how money is made and comes home. In the corporate world and the working world in general, there is not only skills to know but people to network and navigate. Sometimes it may be a cruel world, but have your priorities right and things will be much more manageable 🙂
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I really like that lesson of understanding how the money finds a way home. What a great experience for all!
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Yes, i agree. Thanks Lori.
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Wow, great initiative from dad. I really like the idea.
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Such a lovely story to read. I used to go to my Appa’s printing press in my childhood. No words could explain my feeling of pride and happiness.
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Reminded me of how I would accompany my dad to his printing press when I was a kid. It used to be thrilling sitting in his swivel chair, pick up the phone, dial random numbers and move around the press, gawking at all the huge printing machines!
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I reckon more kids should be allowed to go to their parents’ workplace (depending on appropriateness, of course). I know in our workplace, it wouldn’t be okay as we are a mental health service.
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It not only shows the father’s love for his daughter but also speak of the values which he wants to instil in her. It’s nice to take kids to the office, if possible, and show them how life is going to be in the future. Thanks for sharing the story, it made me smile too… 🙂
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Heartwarming story and I commend the father’s reasoning.
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