Entry bubble Take Your Kids to Work With Kids.gov

By: Nancy | April 24, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

If you're in an office today, you might notice some new faces around the place. Either you really are getting older and the interns are getting younger or your office is participating in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Originally created as Take Our Daughters to Work Day back in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation, girls and boys are both encouraged to head to work today with a parent or other significant adult in their lives. It's not just a free pass from a day at school though; it's a chance for kids to get exposed to workplace culture and to start thinking about career opportunities.

This got me wondering about what career-related links there were on Kids.gov. Turns out, there are a lot. Kids.gov is the government's official web portal for kids, with links to more than 1,200 family-friendly sites. The content is divided into two age groups for kids: K-5th grade and 6th-8th grade. Here's a taste of some of the fun, career-related stuff I found in each age group:
child dressed as doctor 

K - 5th Grade

Most elementary school kids I know love cats and dogs and horses. And that love could translate later into a career as a vet. The American Veterinary Medical Association's animated web site for kids explains the day to day work of a vet and the education that goes into getting a degree in veterinary medicine.

Outer space is always a fascination for kids, as they look at the stars and dream of being astronauts. But not all jobs related to space involve going into space. Using animated stories, NASA's Space Place web site introduces kids to space-related careers including engineering and mapping the stars as an astronomer.

6th - 8th Grade

Mystery...intrigue...maybe the life of an FBI agent who investigates spies is in your kid's future. With the games and quizzes on the FBI's Spy Page, middle schoolers can learn how the FBI uncovers spy tricks and deciphers code words.

Is your kid a good problem solver who loves taking thing apart to find out how they work? They may be perfect for a career as a mechanic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' page on auto mechanics describes the education that goes into becoming a mechanic and their earning potential, whether they work for themselves, a service station or a car dealer.

If I'd had Kids.gov when I was a kid, I might not have gone around telling everybody that I was going to grow up to be a glockenspiel-playing ballerina/hairdresser. None of those things panned out, but that’s ok; being a blogging bureaucrat is a pretty good gig.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

| Comments [6] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: career  kids  kids.gov  nancy  work 

 

Entry bubble Family Medical Leave Act Basics

By: Sommer | March 28, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

I first heard about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in one of my college classes. Needless to say, my husband and I havepregnant woman talking to a male coworker discussed this little law a lot around the house recently. Since I work for Uncle Sam I don’t get “maternity leave” per se, but I have been able to save up enough vacation to use while I’m off work with the baby. Luckily I won’t have to take unpaid leave under FMLA to spend time with my newborn. My husband isn’t that lucky though; he just took a new job last fall. And, since his company doesn’t offer paid paternity leave, he’ll have to invoke his FMLA rights and take unpaid time off if he decides to take extended leave to welcome the baby home.

Here are some details about your rights under FMLA:

  • The Clinton Administration enacted the FMLA in 1993.
  • The main purpose of the law is to grant eligible employees up to 12 workweeks, per 12 month period, of unpaid family and temporary medical leave under the following circumstances:
    • birth and care of the newborn child;
    • adoption or taking a child into foster care;
    • care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
    • personal medical leave when the employee cannot work because of a serious health condition.
  • Your employer must give you your original job back once you return to work. If your employer has filled your job in your absence or, for some reason it's no longer available, your employer must provide you with a job that’s equal in pay, benefits and responsibility.
  • You’re also entitled to all your employee benefits while you’re out.

| Comments [5] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: employee  family  job  law  leave  maternity  paternity  sommer  work 

 

Entry bubble Choosing Child Care

By: Sommer | March 07, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Now that I’m about 5 weeks from my son being born my husband and I are talking more and more about the type of child care we’ll use when I return to work later this summer. We know we have a few options including using the child care center that’s in the GSA buildingbabysitter holding one baby and entertaining two others where I work (I’m on the waiting list so we’ll see if I get in!). Other options include finding a home day care, a child care center closer to home or to my husband’s job, or hiring a nanny.

I’ve been searching for resources to help us make a choice and there’s quite a bit out there. Here are some of the helpers I’ve found most useful:

I’d love your advice on smoothing the transition between staying home with my baby and returning to work. I know many of you out there must have a lot of experience since most mothers these days return to work after having children.

| Comments [0] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: baby  babysitter  child  childcare  daycare  family  mother  nanny  sommer  work