I have taken each of my children with me to various jobs, at a school, two libraries, a few churches and most recently, on newspaper assignments.

It does not always go well. Erick, when he was little, once interrupted me in front of an entire church congregation by playing peek-a-boo from behind the altar. Nursing my youngest, James, or pumping milk for him at another job proved awkward and interruption-prone.

But there were a lot of benefits too. I enjoy having my kids with me. And they learned valuable lessons, doing volunteer work, and in my oldest child, Samantha’s, case, she eventually began working at one of the libraries. The official Take Your Child to Work Day was sort of a bore for them, since it wasn’t anything novel. But they learned about many different things, and just as importantly, they learned the value of work. Not just the monetary value, they also learned the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a job well done, and they met people. While doing craft shows with me, Erik learned how to interact with customers.

My current day job does not participate in Take your Child to Work Day, but James often accompanies me on assignments for the newspaper. I try to balance time with James with fun things. At the recent Polar Plunge, we were sad that his young friends from the Colonial IU20 Parent Support T.E.A.M had stayed home because of the cold temperatures. But there was a playground at the park where the plunge was held, and he found kids to play with, including another boy his age with the same first name. We pretty much took turns. He walked/stood with me while I took photos and did interviews, then playground time, and so on.

My older two children have found success in their work. I hope the early foundation of going to work with me played a role in setting them up for success. I also hope the same for James. More, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to give him these varied experiences. If you see us out in the community, please say hello.