Take Your Child To Work Day

The fourth Thursday in April is National Take Your Child To Work Day, a program aimed at giving kids a chance to see how what they learn in school might be applied in the real world someday. For TYCTWD today, Lars ventured into the city with me to get a look at exactly what it is that I do when I'm not at home.

In an effort to make the day as authentic as possible, we started the day with a stop at Starbucks before the train. Then, in an effort to make the day as exciting as possible, I got rear-ended at a stoplight on the way to the train. Thankfully, my effort was pretty much used up by then, so the rest of the day was just fine.

Lars and I went to my office first, where he was introduced all around, did two small project take-offs and was scheduled to help in marketing after lunch. Then, I showed him a simple product kit and we took it to demonstrate to two specifiers - getting in a subway trip and a taxi ride for flavor. The second specifier's office was also participating in TYCTWD, so we had a business lunch out with all the Junior Associates. After lunch, per schedule, Lars helped our marketing department prepare for a two-day seminar (they were actually glad for extra hands, since most of the print materials for the inservice just showed up today!) and then we capped the day by attending the seminar's cocktail hour kickoff where Lars was lauded for his help and also enjoyed a lovely light dinner.

The biggest shock of the day for Lars, I think, was the discovery that I only play my DSi on the train. He seemed affronted by the lack of recess-like breaks and slightly confused when he learned, after some petitioning, that not everyone in my office has a DS and/or a World of Warcraft account. He clearly wondered just how they manage to live but was polite enough not to voice it.

Lars was also a bit surprised that we didn't see his classmate, who'd gone to work with his father in NYC today. "They are In The City, Mama. So are we!" As if we would, of course, run into everyone who was In The City. Don't you? Thinking I might try to fix something up last minute, I asked Lars where the other child's father worked. Lars gave a very tiny, exasperated pose, glanced to the sky and said, "Mama, I just told you - he works in New York." Well, there's always next year...