Oh, how could I have forgotten
Apparently the 26th is "Take Your Children To Work Day™". I'd forgotten all about it. And it's really a shame that I forgot about it, because, as the flier says:
This program is designed to expand opportunities for girls and boys, expose them to what adults in their lives do during the work day, show them the value of their education, and give them an opportunity to envision their future. Participating in a workplace, even for a day, is an extremely valuable learning experience that is directly connected to what children learn at school. A workplace visit can make what they are learning in the classroom come alive.
"Envision their future" ? Sure, if you can envision a boot stamping on your face forever. No, no, I don't really want to drive my children to suicide before they turn 10. I'd rather maintain the illusion that you can be successful by sheer force of skill instead of by wedging themselves into the old boys network and letting social connections lift them to a successful life. And if I do it properly, they'll think that being shoved into some ivy league school back east will be their idea instead of their parents frantically trying to ensure that they'll end up in a social strata that isn't routinely pissed on by the sociopathic rich.
And they've probably already got enough valuable learning experiences about my line of work (and by valuable, I mean terrifying; Silas isn't old enough to remember the fun two and a half years of unemployment, but Russell may be,) and will hopefully decide to go into something that has some future.
If I'd had a workplace visit to my future job when I was a kid, I would have given up and become a hobo on the spot. I'll spare them the horror.