I decided that today is “Bring Your Child To Work Day” – and why not? How often do we not take our work home without giving any consideration to our children…
So I woke up this morning and decided to take my son to work with me and to only work until 1pm. I mean really now, I’ve taken work home with me every single day this week and I will be ‘working’ this weekend!
“Okay, today I want no nonsense. Remember, I am working, I have 3 meetings and I need you to be quiet and draw pictures while I’m busy. Today, you are my assistant.” I explain to my son while waiting for the train. “Ooookaaaayy. I will be quiet, but can I get a croissant please.”
It was really a great work day today, we started the morning off with a leisurely stroll along the beachfront, noting all the great things about the area, the lovely beachfront shops, the informative signs about the Shark Spotter programme, all the surf schools and the areas where improvement/maintenance is needed. We also popped in to Knead for a quick coffee (for me) and croissant before making our way to the office.
Kai helped me with filing and swept the courtyard. He drew some lovely pictures while I had my meetings. We did a lot of walking – we went to the print shop twice, to the Muizenberg Festival base twice, we went to Checkers twice, we went to Knead twice (we love their croissants!) and we went to the security company’s office. Also many introductions – he met about 10 new people today!
When it got to midday he was already tired “when can I get another croissant, I need a break now and I am so thirsty. Work is so tiring” – well son, welcome to my world!
I treasure these moments, I know that very few people can take their kids to work and I am grateful for working in an environment where I am not stifled by having to do things in a particular way, as long as the job gets done. The landscape of the work environment is changing, slowly but surely…After all, how can anyone be expected to work near the beach and NOT do things a bit differently?
I love that I am a 10 minute train ride away from the office. I love that I have the view of the ocean to and from work. I enjoy the flexibility that comes with working in an area where, well, the entire area is part of your job, so taking a walk on the beach or learning to surf or sitting in the park and getting a feel for the area or standing on the corner while having an intense conversation with a stranger is all part of the ‘job’ – talking to people, listening to their concerns and ideas. Being part of driving transformation, partnerships and commitment to service delivery from the City – a long process, but very exciting.
How awesome is it then not, that I can just have a “Bring Your Child To Work Day”. Share with my son, what I enjoy most about my job, the flexibility and diversity that it adds to my day. No two days are ever the same.
My work should compliment my lifestyle, and well, it seems that I may have found the perfect balance, even if only for today 🙂