Working hard


Working hard
Originally uploaded by renfield



I am not the kind of person to talk endlessly about something without taking action (though I am the kind of person to talk endlessly in general, but I digress...)
My dad taught me, when I was a wee little thing: "Anything worth complaining about is worth doing something about."
The corollary is: shut up if you aren't willing to try and fix it.

So instead of having more discussions about Bring Your Kids to Work Day, I simply: brought my kid to work.
Ton-chan started at a new Kindergarten this week. Mo-kun had his 3-year health check up today.
So since my wife had to take Mo to his check-up, I had to pick up Ton at 2pm when school ended. The plan was to take her to the health center so that mom could then take both kids home.
As I am wont to do, I changed the plan. Instead, father and daughter got in a taxi and came back to the office. After getting sorted with a sufficiently sugary beverage from Starbucks, I brought her up to the office, walked her down the trading floor, introduced her to the folks in the general vicinity, and sat her down at the empty desk next to me.
She was given an ample supply of colored markers and I printed a couple of black-and-white pictures of her current favorite anime characters to color.
She got to work immediately, and I caught up on emails then ran to a meeting.
After about an hour, mom called and we all met downstairs, son happily sleeping in the stroller. Handed off Ton with a hug and a kiss, and that was that.

Not entirely sure what HR Regulations I flexed, but I am glad to report that everyone was extremely helpful and supportive, and I don't think she was terribly disruptive for the hour she spent sitting at an empty desk coloring and playing with an iPad. Actually, for the other working parents around me, I think it brightened their day to see her, and for everyone else, who can't help smiling at such a cutie as my awesome daughter?

Maybe if more people randomly brought their kids into work for an hour at a time throughout the year, it would be more fun and effective than an official "Bring Your Kids To Work Day"?