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This year, Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day falls on Thursday, April 22. If your workplace is planning something for the day, you're probably filled with equal parts excitement and fear. Will it be a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the parent-child bond and impress your colleagues with the fine young citizen(s) you're raising? Or will your kid puke on the carpet, unplug the server, and make rude comments about your coworkers?

For most of us, it's a crapshoot.

Given the wide variety of workplaces, there's no single agenda for Take Your Kids to Work Day. Certain occupations don’t even invite this kind of participation. If you're a medical examiner, a proctologist, or a fighter pilot, for example, you should probably just explain your job in kid-friendly terms, and maybe show them where you work, but not let them give it a try.

Most office-based jobs are suitable for kids, and many companies schedule events and activities for employees' children. In this article, 5 Steps to a Perfect Bring Your Child to Work Day, author Katherine Lewis points out that it can be a great chance to show your kids what you really do, "since many children believe mom and dad just play on the computer and talk on the phone all day long."

She also points out that the young'uns will be delighted by many of the things you probably consider mundane, such as commuting, getting a cup of coffee, or taking a lunch break. (And can anything match the thrill of pushing elevator buttons?)

Here at Pongo, we've been planning a special morning that includes interactive projects, pizza with the CEO, and cookie decorating. And just for fun, we'll also be recording some video interviews with the kids. Be sure to check out Pongo's YouTube channel next week to see how (or if) we all survived.

How do you feel about Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day? Post a comment below to share your plans, experiences, or opinions about this annual event.

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The original concept was to show our daughters careers they may not have considered for themselves. That message has been lost. I was an active promoter of this event in the early years at my prior company, and we had some very interesting programming. But now that the Day has become generic, I believe it should be moved to the summer when the kids won't miss school. I'm thinking then we would see who is really interested in learning about careers ... vs just missing school. (And I know that would mean teachers couldn't participate but children have an excellent understanding of what a teacher does each day already from their own experience).

@ Charlotte Quigley

I agree, Charlotte, that the original intent has been lost. It started in 1993 as Take Our Daughters to Work Day; Sons weren't added until 2003. The initial purpose was, as you say, to show girls that there are many career options outside of the few they may have been exposed to. Now it's more of a "come and see where mommy and daddy work" type of day.

But I think it's still a very worthwhile program because all children need to see a variety of workplaces, with different people working in different roles, and learn the rules of behavior in a professional setting.

Your suggestion to schedule it during the summer is excellent.

Thanks for commenting!

--Julie

I once read an article which asked parents to rate their job satisfaction from 1-10. Most rated about a 7. They then asked the children of those parents to rate the parents job satisfaction. Most of the kids said their parents were unhappy at work and said about a 3.

Parents need to realize that when you walk in the door at 6pm, tired and flustered, your children mostly hear the negatives. In our house we try to talk about the achievements we made as well as the mistakes we learned from.

At least use this day to have a discussion with your children about why you work and what you love most about your job.

@ AG

I hadn't heard that statistic before, AG, but that makes a lot of sense. I think you make an excellent suggestion -- use the day to talk to kids about the positive aspects of work. Great comment!

--Julie

I have mixed feelings about this event. I believe the original intent was notably worthwhile but has been lost - at least in my workplace. It does very little to actually expose or involve the kids to their parent's workday.

I don't know what Pongo normally does, but decorating cookies doesn't seem appropriate unless you're a pastry chef. These are the same types of "events" my organization has scheduled for the kids, along with a scavenger hunt. True, it could be said that our days of trying to solve problems typically feel like a scavenger hunt, but it is not an accurate depiction of what my job is.

As a single parent I've had to bring my daughter to work, where I have toys and coloring books stashed under my desk to keep her occupied. She is permitted to use my equipment on a limited basis. She is not permitted to disturb other employees or run in the hall. I think this is a much more effective way to see what I do during the day and to teach her to be mindful of others around her.

Our jobs are a big part of who we are and how we support our families. We are doing a disservice to our kids if we use this day to simply show them our office, our co-workers, and a day filled with decorating cookies, going on scavenger hunts, and story-time. Why would we ever come home stressed out if all our work days are so much fun?