Women in Business: Sometimes All Work and No Play Is Good for the Kids

"What does your mommy do?"

Friday the playgrounds and gym locker rooms will be abuzz with career talk because — for many of the nation’s schoolchildren — Thursday is a day of all work and no play.

And, believe it or not, they couldn’t be more excited.

Amy Buckley is bringing her two children to the office with her on April 26 to give them a taste of the real world. She doesn’t question whether the day will make a positive impact on 9-year-old Brendan’s and 10-year-old Mackenzie’s futures; she knows from experience that it will.

Buckley said her own similar experience of spending a day with her mom (who was a CEO running a home health care agency) at work years ago had an enormous impact on shaping the person she is today.

Many "kids would go home from school and their mom would be there. Mine wasn’t. Sometimes I felt a little sorry for myself," Buckley said.

"But once I witnessed what she did and how she bettered herself and the lives of others, I realized, ‘Wow. I’m so proud to have a mom who [makes a difference] in the lives of others.’ It was an inspiration to see you can do both," said Buckley, referring to how a woman can be a good mom and have a fulfilling career.

The 38-year-old paralegal is not alone. Millions of moms and dads across the country are bringing their children to work on Thursday to celebrate the 15th annual "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day."

The Ms. Foundation for Women launched the program in 1993 just for girls in an effort to help strengthen their voices and self-esteem while at the same time making clear the opportunities available in the business world. Through the years the event grew and today both boys and girls participate.

"We have designed a range of activities (available on the Web site www.daughtersandsonstowork.org) that workplaces can use so that girls and boys spend the day talking with each other and with adults about their ideas of what their family, community and work lives will look like when they grow up," said Sara Gould, president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women.

"We want the day to change their horizons in many ways, from expanding their knowledge of jobs and careers to getting a better picture of what their own parent does during their working day," Gould said.

The job of the role model is one that can never be outsourced and will always be in demand. I applaud all the parents participating in this event. You know who you are: Here's to you for a job well done.

If you take your child to work next week, e-mail me at herbusiness@foxnews.com and tell me about it. Or, have him or her e-mail me to tell me what they learned. I’ll share some of your stories next week.

"Minding Her Business" is a column that covers issues affecting women in business and in the workplace. Female professionals (and male, too, if they wish) can use this resource to network, ask questions, receive and offer advice, share personal experiences … and you don’t ever have to leave your office. Just e-mail herbusiness@foxnews.com. E-mails are subject to editing for length and content.