“Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” is on April 25th, and I think we should try something different this year: Let’s take our daughters and sons to grandma’s.
The Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation says that April 25th is designed to be more than just a career day — more than the practice of “shadowing” an adult in the workplace.
It’s equally important to show children “the value of their education, helping them discover the power and possibilities of work and family life…”
It’s about “providing boys and girls a chance to share how they envision the future, and allowing them to begin steps toward their goals in a hands-on and interactive environment…”
I couldn’t agree more. That’s why we need to take our kids to grandma’s this year.
Look, it’s important to prepare our children for their work future, so they may make good livings to provide for themselves and their families — people without skills that are valuable to employers are especially struggling right now as food and housing costs continue to soar.
But let’s remember that work is not everything and that having a career in a big corporation is not all it is cracked up to be — not when you factor in corporate politics, the occasional nasty person who makes everyone else’s working life unpleasant, and that your corporate employer will happily drop you in your peak middle-aged earning years in favor of someone younger, who will work for half the cost.
The truth is, the most important lessons about becoming a successful adult are best taught by grandma.
Grandma will take her grandchildren for a nice walk in the woods in the sweet spring air, showing them different plants and flowers and how to steer clear of poison ivy.
She’ll tell them stories about colorful and cherished family members who have passed on — especially grandpa, who she made a wonderful life with during 66 years of marriage.
Copyright 2024 Tom Purcell, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.