Lately, Little Miss has been climbing into our window seat when my husband leaves for work, opening the window, and yelling, “Bye daddy! I love you so much!” It’s incredibly sweet and endearing.
But then one day she had something to add to her declaration of love. “Where is your work? Is it over there?” She shouted as pointed down the street. My husband, Tyler, said no, that he needs to walk to the train to get to work.
She was sooo perplexed. It suddenly clicked to her that her daddy was going somewhere all day long… but that some days, like Fridays, he works from home.
I realized how confusing it could be for her. She might only be three, but she’s heard of “work” in a variety of different ways. From our neighbor Natalie, to my sister Katie, Little Miss has encountered a lot of people who work from home and make their own hours. Then, when we’re up in Michigan, my mom — Little Miss’s Yaya — has had to explain to Little Miss that she needs to work on the houses since they’re rentals. (Little Miss has “helped” her clean out the garage on more than one occasion.)
What My Daughter Thinks I Do for Work
As for what I do, I’ve asked her a few times, “Do you know what I do for work?” Once her answer was “something.” Another time she perceptively said, “You put on makeup.” I think she finally “got” what I did once she started doing some of my videos with me, and I love that now she’s of an age where she can help me. (Another favorite “helping” activity of hers is catching paper when I print it for my freelance work).
But all this conversation about work made me think…
I love that she’s being exposed to so many different ways that people work. She’s learning about traditional jobs, like what my husband does, even if he is lucky enough to work from home on occasion. She’s also learning about jobs that aren’t entirely behind a computer, thanks to my mom. And every day she sees me do a little something with my business… even if it is just making a video and posting on social media.
Our kids will have SO many different options when it comes to work and their careers as they get older… and I wonder what path my two will choose to take. But right now, I’m thankful that she’s learning about how many different ways there are to “work” and build a life, and that no, you don’t need to have a 9 to 5 outside the home. You can build a career you want — and a life you love — in all sorts of ways.
Right now, thanks to preschool, she’s declared she’ll be a teacher. As long as she follows a path to a job that makes her happy and fulfilled? (And hopefully well balanced with a personal life, too?) I’m more than okay with that.
Or as Dr. Seuss says in Oh the Places You’ll Go — one of Little Miss’s favorite bedtime stories? “You have brains in your head, and you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose!”
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