Millennials: What happened to Take Your Daughter to Work Day?

Can I share a secret? One thing that sounds antiquated but we can reclaim as millennials is Take Your Child to Work Day. Whether you are a parent or not, you can be a valuable support at your job or in your family to talk about different jobs and skills adults have.

Sure, it is a day from the 1990s that people forgot about. But it doesn’t have to be.

My mom had a career as an executive assistant for many high-powered companies before she chose to stay home and care for her family. I grew up hearing all about her commutes to Manhattan, her experiences in a male-dominated office, and observing the many skills she learned. She was incredibly tech-savvy at a time when you truly had to teach yourself. The OG DIY. She learned how to build, take apart, and fix PCs.  She started her own business that was twofold:

1. Selling collectibles on eBay…before the internet and digital cameras were commonplace

2. Fixing computers at home.  Ya know when Limewire, Napster, or Kazaa would bring on the blue screen of death - yup, that's when you’d call Anne.  We had the only mom in town actively burning CDs for their child - purely for the purpose of ensuring we didn't ruin the computer on our own.

My dad was an entrepreneur who had his own business with his two brothers for over 40 years. He brought my sisters and I to work often - not just on Take Your Daughter to Work Day.  He taught us many, many lessons that I have referenced in other stories and will continue to highlight in future stores.

The Take Your Daughter to Work Day that really stands out in my childhood though is when my Aunt Maria took me to her corporate office.  I believe it was 1997 at Lucent Technologies.  PCs were just becoming popular and having a job in tech was even more fancy then than today.  My aunt was also the only woman from my inner circle who was childfree, not married, and worked in a corporate office.  

At the time, she seemed to me to be the toughest, best dressed person I knew.  Her life was so different and I always admired it.  I always thought - WOW, she gets to do really cool things.  She traveled for work, she had a company car, and she had one of those cool headsets like Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys wore on stage to take conference calls. 

As an aside - 

Once I got older, I realized how incredibly impactful it was to have this bonus in my life - a close-knit family with strong women who all chose different paths.  I went to college with numerous dreams - both personal and professional - and I credit much of that to the women in my life.  

Back to 1997 - 

My aunt and I drove nearly two hours to her corporate office. Holy hell! Doing that 5 days a week, when you only had broadcast radio and cassettes at your disposal.  Absolutely mind-blowing.  We pulled up to park in a massive office complex.

We entered the lobby. To my little 8-year-old self the ceiling felt so incredibly high, like I was in a palace.  I wonder if it was actually that large and impressive.  The first thing we did was get a folder outlining the day's activities and took a photograph. 

Throughout the day, I got to meet the people she worked with, play on her office computer, and attend classes with other kids about how to use a computer.  I also remember a catered lunch that made me feel like a grown up.  For my anxious Type A self, all I ever wanted to be was a grown up (poor choice, Jaclyn, poor choice).

I remember clearly that the kids were meant to go to a computer class for 1-2 hours without their “parent.” I never went anywhere without my trusted adult or my sisters…so I was nervous.  Ultimately, going and having this new experience helped me grow and become more confident. 

This day also taught me a lesson that would haunt me to this day: I am incredibly impatient with technology.  Even when the internet was dial-up, I expected instant gratification.  I would become audibly irritated and impatient - huffing and clicking every two seconds.

One of the instructors showed me how to double-click a desktop icon to open programs faster.  This technology blew my mind. Don’t worry little Jaclyn in about 18 years you will video call people like The Jetsons.

YES, I AM OLD!  

I can’t remember if I made it a full 8 hours or if we cut the day short, but I remember a few takeaways:

1. Wow, women can work in this type of setting.

2. Adults have to work really hard and sometimes drive really far for a great job.

3. I am better at the computer now, I can go home and show my sisters what I learned.

4. I got to pick out a cool work outfit and have quality time with one of my favorite people on earth.

The day is technically April 24th nationally, but any day is a good day to open someone’s mind. Use the hashtag #takehertowork to share a story about you as a child or you bringing your child to work and tag us at @jyskherstory on Instagram.  

We can’t wait to see her story.

PS - Bonus points if you bring your daughter to a male-dominated industry and your son to a female-dominated industry to promote a growth mindset

No worries,

Jaclyn