Take Your Daughter to Work Day
About Take Your Daughter to Work Day
When is Take Your Daughter to Work Day? This holiday is observed on the fourth Thursday in April
Today is Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Acting on research that showed adolescent girls received less attention than boys, this day was initiated in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation for Women. The intention was to give girls additional direct attention and an insight into work world opportunities available to them. It was to serve the multiple purposes of increased self-esteem for young girls, as well as give them some ideas of the wealth of careers in the world. Thirdly, it allowed them more one-on-one time with their mom or dad.
Take Your Daughter to Work Day quickly took off and became extremely popular. Girls would go off to work with mom or dad, or even an aunt or uncle. They spend the day seeing just what their sponsor’s job involves. It was limited only by the practicality of allowing a youthful, non-employee in a particular job environment. It works well in office environments, but proves impractical in many blue-collar factory jobs, or where safety is an issue. Businesses usually support this day, often holding special programs and demonstrations about the company and the jobs offered.
The popularity of Take Your Daughters to Work Day quickly sparked interest by the boys, who felt left out and were required to go to school for the day, while the girls “got the day off”. Over several years, more and more parents and employers made this opportunity available to boys as well as girls. While this takes away from the original intent to give more attention to adolescent girls, it has become a valuable and popular career day opportunity for girls and boys alike.
How to Celebrate Take Your Daughter to Work Day
Not all jobs are conducive for this event. If your job does not allow children or visitors in the facility, aunts and uncles may be able to take your child to their workplace.
- Take your children to work today.
- Set this up as a teaching moment so they see firsthand certain careers and what they entail.
- Give them an actual work task, if possible. The more realistic the experience, the better it is for the child.
- Set up tours of your job and company or organization.
- If there are different types of jobs in your workplace, give your child the opportunity to see them, too.
- Encourage your employer to participate. Exposure to management is also part of the learning experience.
- At the end of the day, ask your child what he or she has learned, and if they see a potential career for them as a result of today’s activities.
For a variety of reasons, not all students will be able to visit their parent’s workplace. This holiday is an opportunity for schools to hold career day events. The events can be held for practically all primary and high school grade levels. People from different careers can come in and talk to the students about their jobs and work environment. They can describe to the students the skills and educational requirements needed to pursue their particular career.
Other Names for This Special Event
This holiday has evolved over the years. It is referred to by a number of names, including:
- Take Our Daughter to Work Day
- Take Your Daughter and Son to Work Day
- Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day
- Take Your Child to Work Day
- Take Your Children Day
Regardless of what you name it, this special day is a great teaching opportunity, providing children with an insight into different careers available to them. It will be a memorable day for you and your children.
Today's Quote
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – – Lao Tzu
History and Origin of Take Your Daughter to Work Day
This special event was created by Nell Merlino, an artist who also ran a communications firm. In addition, Nell also served as a consultant to the Ms. Foundation for Women. It has been held annually since its creation in 1993.
More About Today
Recipe of the Day: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Flower of the Day: Azalea
Ecards Send a free Ecard daily for just about any April calendar holiday, occasion, observance, or event. Or, just for the fun of it!
Holiday Insights, where every day in April is a holiday, a bizarre or wacky day, an observance, or a special event. Join us in the daily calendar fun each and every day of the year.
Did You Know? There are literally thousands of daily holidays, special events, and observances, more than one for every day of the year. Many of these holidays are new. People and organizations are creating new holidays regularly. April is no exception. Consequently, at Holiday Insights, we take great efforts to thoroughly research and document the details of each one, as completely and accurately as possible.