·
Howard Tullman,
Chicago Star board member and G2T3V general managing partner
· Feb 25, 2022
As tough as the last two years of the pandemic have been, as we finally start to think about getting back to the office there’s been an under-appreciated silver lining which we’re all going to miss.
There have been bright spots at home, such as more time with parents, pets and, amazingly, even our kids, as well as family meals together. Chores and challenges have been shared, there’s been more appreciation for what moms juggle every day, and we’ve had new adventures and surprising discoveries thrown into what has been a frightening and stressful period—one which, we hope, will soon become mainly mixed memories.
But one of the hardest jobs could be explaining to the kids that mom and dad have to go back to the office. Please note, I didn’t say back to “work” because we’re supposed to pretty much have been working all along, but you know what I mean. And here’s a small suggestion about that upcoming conversation. Be honest. Don’t tell your kids that you “have” to go back to the office because you have to make money so you can afford to buy them things, take them places and pay for college. That’s not the right message for them. It’s the work, not the money that ultimately matters. Sadly, they hear all about money, money, money about a million times a day.
Work certainly isn’t easy—there are plenty of bumps in the
road—and it’s fine to tell your kids all about that. But it’s never just about
the money. That’s the worst thing you can ever tell them because if they grow
up thinking you work simply to make more and more money to buy stuff and that’s
what makes you happy, they’ll soon discover that (a) there’s never enough
money, (b) someone always has more, and (c) they’ll never be truly happy with
themselves.
So, as you set out to get back on the road and to take on the new normal—whatever that turns out to be—take a moment to make sure your kids get the right message about why you’re doing it. There’s always more work, but you’ve only got one family. Grab your hat, get your galoshes on, and lastly, hug your kids much too much, far too often, and until they squeal.