Hello, if you don’t typically read my blog, please let me introduce myself. I’m an international publicist, Michelle Tennant Nicholson. I have a master’s degree in human development, wrote award-winning children’s curriculum and helped launch an educational TV network. I hope my ideas not only inspire your family but also contribute to career growth, whether you’re 6 or 60.
My blog post today has two purposes:
1) A PR lesson from my firm, Wasabi Publicity.
2) An at-home lesson plan for parents participating in “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day,” the fourth Thursday every April. This year, we’re all at home due to COVID-19.
? Last year, 40 million people participated in, “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.”
I first represented “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” when it was with the Ms. Foundation. Years later, we’re still doing pro bono work for the foundation that manages this globally celebrated day. The coronavirus pandemic will affect the 40 million parents, educators, and businesses typically participating at businesses or schools. Since these places are currently closed to the shelter-in-place laws, there is an opportunity to educate people and suggest alternative activities that still hold true to the original intention of the day: that children connect schoolwork to future career choices.
By the way, if you’ve not downloaded my “21 Day PR Action Guide” workbook, my business partner, Drew Gerber, and I are providing it free to help people stimulate or start businesses. Download it here ?
To inspire the news cycle (Day 6 #21DayPRActionGuide) I recommend writing your media materials to expound on breaking news (like the pandemic going on right now) or seasonal news (like this annual day, “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day”). Let me start with some examples I’m sharing with the press.
The 2020 theme “Meet The Workplace Superstars” can be translated into at-home activities. Each one can become its own news story. Parents are the ultimate “superstar” to their children and being at home together presents a unique opportunity.
1) Create a child’s desk next to yours. For ideas, check out Darla DeMorrow’s book, “The Upbeat, Organized Home Office.”
2) Teach your child about technology, communication tools, and other pertinent work skills.
3) Chart budgets, taxes & money flow. For financial wellness activities with children, check out Stephanie Mackara’s book, “Money Minded Families.”
4) Tell stories about “workplace superstars.” Remember, YOU are a superstar in your child’s view. Together, search the internet for heroes who inspire you. ?♀️?♂️
5) Conduct a video chat with co-workers and invite them to involve their children.
6) Teach children they are the future superstars of the workplace. Invite them to create artwork that illustrates that future.
7) Shoot a video or write a blog post about your experience and post it online. Be sure to tag #TODASTW or #WorkplaceSuperstars or #TakeOurDaughtersAndSonsToWork.
8) Play a game to discover what is the secret to happy families. Tampa Bay Parenting published Landmarkworldwide.com communication expert, Josselyne Herman
Saccio’s tips in an article called, “The Secret of Happy Families.”
9) Read a book — written by a dog? Talk about interesting career changes! Former CIA senior executive, Katy McQuaid wrote, “Everybody Loves Grace: An Amazing Story of How Grace Brings Love to Everyone She Meets,” which covers (from a dog’s perspective) simple acts of kindness, turning uncertain situations into positive experiences, and treating everyday like an adventure.
10) Discover your CQ (creativity quotient) with the award-winning movie producer, Barnet Bain. On Saturday, April 11, 2020, I interviewed Barnet Bain, who was still recovering from the 2019 California fires. Listen to his inspiring words for all parents and educators living through this pandemic: Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day 2020 with Barnet Bain ?
In 2016, creativity exercises from Bain’s book, “The Book of Doing and Being” was woven through the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation’s annual curriculum. The partnership, around the foundation’s 2016 theme “Sparking Aha Moments,” will empower families, schools, educators, employers, and government representatives to focus on creativity in education and work.
Here are the booklets from that year:
Grade school and junior high booklet
Teens and adults booklet
The White House gave the day a shout-out in 2016. Read about it here ?
To see ongoing updates about TODASTW day, please visit www.DaughtersAndSonsToWork.org ?
When working with the press, simply educate, enlighten or entertain. Breaking and seasonal news, like “Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day,” are excellent opportunities to do just this. Finally, to everyone, please choose the news stories you consume carefully. Are the sources credible? Do they back-up their information with facts? It’s so important to question the stories that feed us mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally each day. The stories we consume, end up consuming us.
Here at my PR firm, Wasabi Publicity, we are seeking to inspire marketing professionals, authors, educators, and others to share uplifting and inspirational stories. After all, the way to change the world is to change what people are talking about. And the quickest way to do that is to change what the media is talking about.
