What Do Freelance Writers Do On Take Your Kids To Work Day?
What Do Freelance Writers Do On Take Your Kids To Work Day?
Some thirty years ago, some noticed that girls weren’t getting the same opportunity in the work place that boys were. It was recognized that part of the problem was simple role-modeling. “Take Your Daughter To Work Day” was established to help mitigate that. Sometime later, it was recognized that boys would benefit from the same thing, so the day became gender neutral.
Of course, I was working at home most of the time during those days, so my kids saw me working whenever they were home. The results were about what you’d expect. One kid has probably over-worked so as not to be as broke as I was then; two others have kept at jobs they don’t really like in order to support their families with more certainty. But, I think, all three would admit they benefited from my being home much of the time.
So how do you take your kids to work? Or do you? Tell us about it.
(Shameless self-promotion: The blog in the business channel with the most comments on this topic will win something… I’m not sure what.)
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Tags: editors, freelance-writing, kids, take your kids to work day, translators, wham, work-at-home, writersRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Business of Freelance Writing
12 opinions for What Do Freelance Writers Do On Take Your Kids To Work Day?
Lori
Apr 7, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Same situation here, Anne. When I was in an office, I basically let her play Solitaire on the work computer and hit the vending machine a few times. :)
When I started working from home, I shared what I was doing with her. I let her read some of what I was doing, and I helped her understand the use of commas, proper sentence structures, etc. We had a much more useful experience. Plus she’s the one I sound off to now about deadbeat clients. :))
lornadoone
Apr 7, 2008 at 11:59 pm
With my first baby having been born in January, every day of freelancing is Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Fortunately, I’ve just started having someone come in for a couple of hours a few days a week. The baby’s still “at work” with me, but I can focus on the job between feedings.
Kathleen L
Apr 8, 2008 at 7:49 am
I agree, working at home is the plus of being a freelancer.
I used to have a family farm (before the divorce) and so ever since I had my first child, some nearly 17 years ago, I have been a work from home mom and taking my children to the “office” has always been something I have done. Even when we showed horses for clients out of town, out of state, etc. I always took my kids to the events with us. And since my son was 6 months old I have been adding freelancing to my family’s life… and now that I am working outside the home more and more my kids have trouble understanding that they can’t come to the office with me any time they want to. :[
Oh for the days I was just working at the home location.
Anne Wayman
Apr 8, 2008 at 8:05 am
My hunch is that freelancers often, maybe even usually, involve their kids in their work… to the benefit (and frustration) of all concerned.
Graham Strong
Apr 8, 2008 at 8:21 am
@Anne’s Comment - Yes, the good thing about working from home is that you are always there for the kids. Of course the bad thing about working from home is that you are always there for the kids…
This question reminds me of another conundrum: what do professional golfers do when they retire?
~Graham
Anne Wayman
Apr 8, 2008 at 9:18 am
LOL, play golf?
Graham Strong
Apr 8, 2008 at 9:21 am
Exactly! But I just realized one advantage — now they get to use a cart… lol
~Graham
John Clausen
Apr 8, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I’ve worked at home pretty much for 30 years. When my son was a little over 1 1/2, we lived out in the country in a nice cedar home. My office was in the basement just off the rec room. One afternoon I heard the lad squealing with laughter in the next room. When I went to investigate what he and his mom were up to, he met me with a stern look and pointed to my office door. “Work,” he said. “Work.”
Now he’s 18 and a fine writer all on his own. He’ll sometimes lean over my shoulder and let me know that I’ve misplaced a comma or committed some other offense…but no one has ever sent me scurrying back to the keyboard quite as efficiently as that finger-pointing tyke those years ago.
Joan
Apr 9, 2008 at 9:18 am
I’ve always been a work-at-home mom so my kids grew up seeing me toiling away but always there to doctor a scrape, wipe away tears, and give out snacks. Our youngest daughter, now a teacher dealing with high school kids, said that the fact I was always home was one reason she didn’t get into trouble the way so many of her peer group did. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’ll take a parenting compliment anywhere I can get one. *g* There were some days I told them I didn’t want to be interrupted unless smoke or blood was present. They’d laugh, but they honored the dictum. All our kids turned out well though they all think I’m a bit weird.
Allena
Apr 10, 2008 at 9:11 pm
hmm My children are older (although I’m not, lol) so I could probably do a lot more than I do with them now. I have these feminist leanings,s o I like to press upon my daughtr that mommy works just as much as dad and sometimes earns just as much money for the family and home as dad does. Guess I could be showing instead of telling her.
Anne Wayman
Apr 11, 2008 at 10:12 am
Allena, isn’t it odd how our kids get older but we don’t age?
Kathleen L
Apr 13, 2008 at 6:21 am
Joan – yes, when I was able to stay at home and either work on the family farm or just be the stay-at-home working part-time writer, especially as I was working on the family farm and being a full-time mom… things were better with my kids. They too stayed out of more trouble. I noticed that since my divorce and my need to go back into the workforce full-time to cover the overhead… my kids say… “I miss you going on all the fieldtrips,” etc. They are pushing the envelope a bit too.
I tell you… I miss having the flexible enough schedule too. I miss going on the field trips and whatever. I enjoyed spending that time with my kids.
It is a bit harder to explain to a boss… got a call from the school I’m headed to the ER… bye… but they are, at least, understanding when that occurs and with three kids… two of whom are allergic to bee/wasp stings :[ , one who is fond of ambulance rides (so she says)… I find myself wishing for a full-time writing life or at least a life back on a farm with a part-time writing life.
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