National Working Parents Day

National Working Parents Day is a day to celebrate those amazing parents who work hard all year to provide for their families. It’s a time to show some appreciation and share the love in celebration of these folks who are constantly on the job and on the go with their families! 

Being a parent is tough and often involves balancing a full-time job, child care and a marriage or relationship. Many parents work incredibly hard in order to ensure their kids have food, clothing, shelter and a whole host of luxury items in order to make their childhood great.

History of National Working Parents Day

Although the origins of National Working Parents Day are a little vague, the day seems to date back a couple of decades to 2004. While perhaps it seems logical to suggest that this day was created by an overworked, under-appreciated mother or father who was seeking some basic recognition for their efforts, that’s not completely how the story goes. In fact, National Working Parents Day was founded by the National Association of Mothers’ Centers. This organization in the United States is a non-profit that supports the cause of working mothers has more recently changed its name to Mom-mentum.

Regardless of the origins of the day, National Working Parents Day is a time for mothers and fathers to put their feet up, relax, and take a much-needed break from all the difficulties they face. It is also a day for children to show their appreciation and potentially take on some of the day-to-day household chores!

Coworkers, friends, family members and employers can all make the world a slightly better place by seeing and trying to meet the special needs that these folks have – not just on National Working Parents Day, but every day!

How to Celebrate National Working Parents Day

Whether a working mom or dad, a child of a working parent, a coworker, family member or neighbor, National Working Parents Day offers a significant opportunity to be an encouragement and a support to parents who work outside the home. Get creative by observing the day with some of these ideas:

Engage in Some Self-Care

Ideally, working parents would be able to send the kids to daycare or school on this day, but call off work by taking a personal day or mental health day. After getting the kids off to their respective places for the day, relax over a slow cup of coffee, book in a massage or mani-pedi with a friend, spend some time at a favorite bookstore or library and just enjoy the ability to unwind without the stress of work.

Help Out A Working Parent

Folks who have working parents in their lives, like aunts and uncles or grandparents, might want to offer to help out in celebration of National Working Parents Day. Perhaps it would be useful to help out by watching the kids, doing a little cleaning around the house or making some meal preparations for the rest of the week. Even just ordering a nutritious takeout meal could be a great benefit to a working parent! This type of help can be particularly useful and meaningful for those who are single parents and are usually carrying the load all on their own.

Support Working Parents at Work

Bosses and colleagues might also show some appreciation to their employees and coworkers who are parents in creative ways. Perhaps a coworker can offer to cover while they take off fifteen minutes early at the end of the day so a working parent can have a few minutes to themselves before they pick up the kids. On a larger scale, companies can consider ways that their employees who are parents might find more work-life balance with flexible working hours or unique benefits packages. Family gift baskets are also a great way to show working parents that they are cared for and appreciated.