Should I Let My Daughter See Me Work?
Managing a Work-from-Home World Where Personal and Professional Lines Blur
The other day, my four-year-old daughter picked up one of her toys, flipped it open like a laptop, and told my wife and I that she was “working” and had to take a meeting. She even brought it with her to the grocery store, pretending to take calls while we picked out produce.
It was objectively adorable. But it also left me with a question I haven’t stopped thinking about since:
Should I let my daughter see me work?
Like many of you, life is busier now than ever. And as a founder, the last few years have taken a toll. I’ve done my best to shield my daughter from just how much I’ve had to work - preferring to work extra hours early mornings before she wakes up, heading back to my office after she goes to bed, etc.. Because when I’m with her, I want to be with her.
Still, there are times when that’s not enough. There are nights I’ve had to take a call when she wanted to play or finish up an email instead of taking her down to the park. But overall, my wife and I have been intentional: We drop her off and pick her up from school together. I make it to gymnastics and t-ball practice. When we're home together, I try my best to always be present.
Yet, seeing her mimic my work habits made me pause.
I work from home, and like so many others in this remote-first world, the lines between personal and professional life have blurred. My home is my office. And that makes it even trickier to navigate what she sees and what she doesn’t.
On one hand, I want her to understand the hard work that goes into building the life we have. I want her to see that work can be energizing, meaningful, and impactful.
But I also worry.
Because I know what it’s like to let work consume you. And if I’m not careful, I fear she’ll grow up not just seeing my commitment to work - but emulating the unhealthy parts of it, too.
So for the parents out there: How do you handle it?
Do you shield your kids from your work and stay as present as possible? Or do you see value in them witnessing what you do and understanding the role of work in life?
This is unchartered territory for me and I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts.
About The Author
Seth is the founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based performance marketing agency on a mission to build a better agency for organizations building a better world.
You can learn more about who we are and what we do at www.Kanahoma.com.