Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Office


Daddy: I'm working from home today.
Zachary: How will you make bleach at home?
Daddy: Well I don't really make bleach.
Zachary: Then what do you do?
Daddy: Mostly I work on the computer and talk on the phone.
Zachary: But how does that help anything?
Exactly.
For most of us it is very difficult to explain to our children exactly what we do at the office. Unless you are a teacher or a doctor it's hard for kids to conceptualize our work. For example, how exactly shall we explain to Zack what a PR Manager does? I can't even explain it to my own parents. And how but my job? A Recruiter?
Last Friday I decided to take Evan to see daddy's office after preschool. I knew this would be an exciting experience for the little guy, and I was right. First Evan was curious about where daddy eats lunch (this is the most important part of the day) so we had lunch in the city center plaza. We sat outside eating our meal , while enjoying the sunshine with the rest of corporate America on lunch break.
Next we entered... The Clorox Building, where we collected our visitor badges, quite exciting, indeed. Then we rode the elevators up to the MarCom floor where daddy has his office. We were greeted by some of David's coworkers who smiled and tried to chat up a timid Evan. "How old are you?" They asked, and Evan held up three little fingers. "What's your name" they inquired, and shyly he turned away pretending not to know. He was sufficiently cute.
When we finally got to Daddy's office it was more awesome than Evan could have possibly imagined. There were jelly bellies. BAGS OF THEM. Even I was surprised. Evan and I started stuffing candy in our mouths. Then it was on to see where Daddy has "circle time." Yup the conference room. And we saw the potty, and the view of San Francisco. All very exciting. As we were leaving we asked Evan if he liked Daddy's office. He answered "Yes, but what takes him so long here every day?" I think he wanted to know what his dad could possibly do in this building after eating jelly beans and going potty. I thought about trying to explain how daddy builds brand awareness for kitty litter and develops social media programs for ranch salad dressing, but instead I merely told him daddy was very, very busy eating important jelly beans.

9 comments:

  1. So true! I think it's hilarious that my twelve year old treats me like a celebrity because all his friends and their families see me at the grocery store where I manage a department !He says even after I finish my degree I have to still work there so he can tell his friends they will see me there ( one of two stores in town):-) Have a great spring break with your boys!

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  2. Too funny! I brought the kids in with me to work yesterday for a while. I'm pretty sure they must think I spend most of the day hunting down candy and spinning on chairs.

    Also, we have those same jammies. :)

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  3. hahah that's gorgeous!! Our little girl thinks Daddy just sits in his office all day too.. lol very funny!

    My son's so proud that I sing in a band... he likes to take newspaper clippings about us to school etc... hahaha and when he hears songs on the radio, he goes.... Oh this is YOUR song aye Mum? LMAO!! I have to explain to him that WE are actually singing THEIR song!! hahaha.

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  4. Impossible to explain how important jobs are to kids....money has no significance, so they see no reason to make it....
    Now that my daughter is in Kindergarten she finally understands what Daddy being a teacher is about :)

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  5. My husband is in the Amry, but currently in grad school.. my 3 year old thinks 'Daddy plays with numbers at his playground." Once, I told him I used to be a teacher and he said, "no yous not, yous a mommy!". So hard for these little guys!

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  6. Honestly Glenn worked for Cisco for 10 years and I still don't know what he did. When people or the kids asked I told them they'd have to ask him.

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  7. I love this post! I can't explain at all what my husband does all day {something with numbers????} so I wonder how he will explain it to our son someday. :) I love your writing!

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  8. This is great! Too cute and a very special time! My kids think Daddy just goes to meetings all day long and they think I just fire and scold naughty people all day long! I'm hoping they don't tell their little friends at school that...small town and all...start rumors about people getting fired. :)
    ~Amy

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  9. HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH! (You saw that SNL sketch, right??)

    Sounds like a sweet day.

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