When I first learned my employer would be participating in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, the only thing that seemed more problematic than taking just one or two of them was the idea of taking all three.
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By my initial reasoning, I couldn’t risk any of my kids feeling left out by having any fewer than all of them go to work with me. And I couldn’t risk unemployment by having all of them there with me at once. Not that the company would have a problem with us bringing three kids, of course; it was the kids’ penchant for sometimes (often) not getting along with one another that worried me.
Add to that the fact that schools don’t endorse participation in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, and I’d pretty much resolved to not participate. It was only after a conversation with a couple of colleagues in their 20s – a good couple of decades younger than me – that I changed my mind. The two girls were talking fondly of memories they had of going to work with their fathers when they were younger, which was enough to make me reconsider.
Then, when a colleague said her children only wanted to participate if there would be other kids they knew, I acquiesced. After talking it over with my wife, we decided to offer all three the chance to go.
Perhaps to no surprise, whether for the chance to spend a day with the old man or perhaps just for the free day out of school, all three kids jumped at the chance. Yikes!
If you’d ever told me there would come a day I would take all three of my children to work, I would have guessed that day to be my last day of employment.
Making the 7:40 a.m. train out of Naperville would mean being out the door about 20 minutes earlier than normal for the two elementary-aged kids and a little later than normal for the middle schooler. Mix in some rain, and it would surely be an adventure merely to embark on our adventure.
We met my colleagues on the train platform as planned, near the rear of the train, where we reasoned there are typically more seats available. Then we wisely moved up so we’d not be in the Quiet Car. Noncommuters, you don’t want to have six kids in the Quiet Car during rush hour. For those who take their silence seriously – as many of us do – that’s a recipe for disaster.
Despite being near the throng of folks to be on board first, we were surprised to see no double seats available. We’d all have to sit on our own, which is standard practice for commuters, but not in the minds of kids. Our little guy was uncomfortable sitting with a stranger and insisted on sitting either with me or one of his siblings. To my surprise, only one adult offered to change seats to accommodate us. Thank you to that kind soul, whoever you were.
It was then I realized how disruptive this whole experience likely was for those not participating in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
“This train is ridiculously crowded,” one Metra rider Tweeted. The rail line was not disclosed, so it may or may not have been the Burlington Northern Santa Fe out of Naperville, but clearly such was the case throughout the suburbs that day. “I think Metra didn’t expect quite so many kids in the city for Take Your Kids to Work Day.”
Once at work at the downtown Chicago-based food company where I work, my employer had numerous activities planned for the 45 or so kids who chose to participate. The children introduced themselves and their parents, fumbled through their adorable attempts to explain what their parents do for a living, made milkshakes and filmed a mock TV commercial.
In between, they interacted with employees and executives of all levels, including one exchange between the CEO and one of my kids that prompted the big boss to acknowledge, “you’re a Manker child, aren’t you?” I wasn’t quite sure how to take that, but I was happy to see my key card still worked the next morning.
As the day wound down, it became clear we’d not fully read the fine print about “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” Turns out, you also have to take them home.
The program wrapped up about 2:30 p.m., and we were on our way back to the train shortly after, having reached the end of what was admittedly not a full day of work for many of us. As any parent can imagine, having your kids at the office isn’t exactly conducive to the “work” part of the day’s name.
But they had fun and made memories that will last a lifetime.
And that’s all that matters.
Rob Manker is a freelance writer who lives and parents in Naperville.
Twitter: @RobManker
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