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Contributing Editor Elana Centor also blogs at FunnyBusiness


If you took your daughter, son, neice or nephew to work with you last Thursday, you're evidently not blogging about it. In fact it doesn't seem like anyone is talking about this year's Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day.

If parents and children participated...and according to the PR "16 million" were anticipated to participate...why isn't anyone talking about it?

In trying to put a post together, I searched Technorati, Google,and MSNBC,High Beam, Wall Street Journal,and Businessweek Online and came up with one company that released a news release about their plans for the day---Merrill Lynch.(They were a sponsor of the event)

Evidently a couple of years ago, the Ms.Foundation formalized the day that some had coined "National Play Hookey Day". For whatever reason, coverage of the day seems to have evaporated.

Given that I have had a home office for nearly 10 years, every day is 'take my kids to work day". However, when I did work in an office, we made a big deal about the day. And, it seems that it was as worthy of news coverage as the perennial events: Ground Hogs Day, The Friday after Thanksgiving shopping at the mall story, and Britney Spears is pregnant,again.

With 2- hour cable and millions of blogs, you'd think someone would have spent a little time talking about an event that Sara Gould, CEO and President of the Ms. Foundation says,

As adults we often face the challenge of balancing work, family, community, and personal responsibilities. We often have to make decisions about working late, leaving work early to pick up a sick child from school or attend a school play, or providing the best care for a sick parent or relative. Sometimes these decisions are easy, and sometimes they may be difficult or complicated. The Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work program encourages our nation's daughters and sons to think about these issues. Through activities designed specifically for the program we can begin a constructive, solution-oriented conversation with our children about the challenges of daily life.

It's a conversation that for the time-being no one seems interested in having. And that says more about where we are as a society than a hundred blog posts.

Image Credit: Flickr Image, Irena's God Daughter byRandyGOP

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kayakingpublicist 5 pts

I'm an independent publicist working with the Ms. Foundation for Women this year and we report excellent coverage. In fact, the popular sitcom, "Office" not only covered it, they also blogged on it extensively. Exciting also are the men who are writing about this day. 16.2 million participated and the companies having "family activities" around this day are up. I think I see the issue with your search. Try variations of what your current search term indicates "daughters and sons." The official name of the program includes plural versions: Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work -- then you'll see the top tier coverage we're clipping, too. (Or put in Take Our Daughters, which is the previous program.) Meanwhile, check out all the new classroom activities that are referenced to the National Education Standards at: www.daughtersandsonstowork.org ( http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org ). People are raving about them and teachers should definitely know they're available.

Educators are supporting the program in new ways. This year, the National Parent-Teacher Association also issued a quote endorsing the program.

I was also tickled this year by unlikely politicians coming out publicly to support the program. Congresswoman Barbara Lee's support didn't surprise me. But I have to admit, when I got the package, headshot and quote from Senator John McCain, I thought to myself ... whew, finally, maybe gender equity is finally making an impact in our workforce. And maybe, finally, parents and teachers are working together within our communities on a large scale. At least, that's my hope. Isn't it yours?

From the results I see this year, we're on the right course, at least. I'd love to hear what others think.

Michelle Tennant
www.michelletennant.presskit247.com ( http://www.michelletennant.presskit247.com )
It's not just who you know. It's who knows about you.

Asha Dornfest 5 pts

I blogged about it ( http://www.parenthacks.com/2006/04/today_is_take_y... ) on Parent Hacks. Interesting responses in the comments, too.

Elana Centor 5 pts

I have my suspicions as to why the day was met with silence but I thought before I shared my theories it might be helpful to hear from others. Also, I am going to contact the Ms. Foundation today and try to get an interview as a follow-up.

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness ( http://funnybusiness.typepad.com/funnybusiness )

mobilejones 5 pts

What a great photo!

To your point, *why* do you suppose the day was met with only silence? Is it drowned out by other stories or has participation fallen?

Debi Jones
Contributing Editor, Blogging and Social Media ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/blogging-social-media )
Feed your mobile jones ( http://www.mobilejones.com )