Ever wonder what your kids think you do at work all day?

Us, too. So, we asked kids. A bunch of them.

Sample answer: “Mommy talks to people in meetings.”

Out of the mouths of babes…

This explains a lot about why Bring Your Child to Work Day is such a good idea.

Kids really don’t know what their parents do all day, plus they’ve got limited interpretive skills. Put those things together and you’ve got a recipe for some pretty literal office job descriptions: “Types on a computer” (not wrong, but not exactly the job), “Calls a lot of people” (Ibid), or “Talks about financial stuff like stocks and debt-to-equity ratio” (that last one’s kind of an outlier — but we can’t wait to meet that kid in business school).

This is what Bring Your Child to Work Day was made for. “I want them to learn that I don’t ‘type’ for a job,” said one amused mom. 

But there’s more. As lighthearted as it can be, Bring Your Child to Work Day has some pretty ambitious roots. As this year’s event approaches, we thought we’d answer some of your burning questions about what it is, why it matters, and how to make the most of it.

How did Bring Your Child to Work Day start?

Actually, the origin was Take Our Daughters to Work Day. It was the early 1990s and women were gaining a major foothold at work, and organizers could see that young girls needed some help with confidence. One of the originators told Time the story of a student who was too intimidated to enter a building for her internship — so she just gave up and went home instead. It took a supervisor to invite her back and walk her upstairs to bring her in. The lightbulb was that role models for the youngest ages could show girls that the workplace was a place for them, too. In 2003, under the heading that everyone needs a role model, the event was expanded to include all children.

How do these events support those goals?

In short, mentorship and confidence. One of the early Take Our Daughters to Work planners told Yahoo Life that her most important influences came from her parents’ workplace. She wanted all kids to have those early connections. Opening offices was one way to do that. They also knew parents weren’t the only mentors. Look closely at the event’s original name (Take Our Daughters to Work) and you’ll see a nod to the fact that role models can come from myriad places.

But that all seems like it’s for older kids?

It’s true that older kids will look at things from more of a professional vantage point. But younger kids can benefit, too. Being around interesting jobs can plant surprising seeds about education and future career choices. And little ones can be pretty inquisitive. In our offices, you’d be amazed by how many were intrigued by the idea that they could “play” on computers for a living. “I wish she worked in the IT department,” one 7-year-old told us wistfully about his mom. “They have more fun — and they have Nerf guns.” Ok, it wasn’t all educational. But he did get a window into possibilities.

Nerf guns?

Sure. Having fun is part of the event, too. That’s the culture and teamwork part. Think of the times you accompanied your own parents to work as a young kid. How exciting was that — especially if the visit was welcomed? Those are memories kids will have forever. Plus, events like these send a message to all of us that family is part of work. When company leaders come down to Bring Your Child to Work events (as ours do), it shows employees and kids that families matter. Those are lessons that kids will remember and that hopefully will become part of their own future business legacies.

How can parents best approach the day?

Think about the ages of your kids. What are they there for? Older kids thinking about college or even summer jobs may want to spend some time in a particular department — maybe asking questions about skills those employees use or the paths they traveled to get there. School-age kids may be curious, but probably in a less targeted way. Be mindful of attention spans. Think about what you do on the job; what’s in your workspace that might be interesting to school-age kids? What might inspire them? How you can show them what your work looks like — and why you like it? And don’t forget colleagues. “My kids were not at all interested in my job,” said one dad, “but they were mesmerized by our graphic designers.”

What kind of activities can we expect?

Our company’s day includes a combination of scheduled and unscheduled activities. Last year started with morning department visits (hats off to legal for having kids make arguments for which candy is best). Some older kids signed up to be assistants. Events were limited to children ages 8 and up, but the littlest ones and those in our child care center got to join us for lunch in the conference room.

Bring Your Child to Work Day 2025 — and beyond

It’s said that tens of millions of kids have participated since that first day decades ago. And the memories have stuck. "I remember how special I felt watching my father, a cardiologist, proudly introducing me to his patients," a Florida entrepreneur told Yahoo Life about her experiences.

That said, there are cautionary tales. In 2016, one young visitor in a sound booth managed to push exactly the right combination of buttons to turn NPR off, as in a full minute of dead air. The broadcaster kept its sense of humor. “Feel free to giggle at will,” wrote one engineer to Gawker. The moral; enjoy the day — but we recommend leaving the big buttons to the grownups.

Have fun!

We look forward to all the little ones who come to visit us this year. Whatever your job — from frontline to finance — we wish you an educational experience your kids will remember.