April 22 is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Prior to having kids, I always imagined myself bringing my adorably cute, super well-behaved child(ren) to my workplace and giving them a glimpse of what mom does every day.

Fast forward to March 16, 2020, when a stay at home order was put into effect for Pennsylvania. Overnight, everyday became ‘bring your kids to work’ day. Spoiler alert: it was not as glamourous as my pre-kid self envisioned. It was downright hard. Reflecting on the past year with my husband, who has also been working from home full-time during this period, I recall good times, bad times and hilarious times. Vanguard has been there for us every step of the way and I couldn’t be more grateful to work for a company that has proven time and again how much they value their employees.

For some perspective, I have three children: an eight-year-old, a four-year-old and a one-year-old. I have had at least one child home each day during work hours for over a year (379 days to be exact as my daughter started back at school full time on Monday, April 5). Here are some highlights that we’ve shared together:

The Good Times

• Having multiple family meals together each day.
• Watching my youngest son grow up before my eyes and being present for milestones like sitting, standing and walking.
• Being a part of my third grader’s education and truly understanding what she is working on each day.
• Learning that my four-year-old can nap at any time, in any place – if he’s tired he closes his eyes and goes to sleep.
• Appreciating the divide and conquer approach to household responsibilities that I have with my husband.

The Bad Times

• I lost my four-year-old one afternoon and after 20 minutes of panic and frantic searching, we found him sound asleep under the couch.
• Not only do I play the role of Vanguard professional and mom, but I also hold the title of housekeeper, lunch lady, referee, playmate, teacher, orthodontist and enemy number one (sometimes all in the same day).
• Personal space and quiet time cease to exist.

The Hilarious Times

• When asked what I do for Vanguard, my four-year-old replied that I talk on the computer phone (not entirely wrong).
• I have gotten really good at ignoring the noise around me. On a call one day, one of my kiddos was trying to get my attention by repeating the word “mom” over and over. I was in the middle of presenting a topic and as soon as I finished, I asked if anyone had any questions. Without missing a beat, one of the participants on the call said, “I think someone has a question for mom.”
• My one-year-old learned how to hang up calls on my headset – that was fun.

I can’t think of anyone who would say this past year has been easy. Employers have had a real opportunity to step up for their employees, and Vanguard has done so in a big way. It is OK if my kids pop on video calls to say hi. It’s OK if I need to reserve my lunch hour to make sure my kids are fed. It’s OK if I must step away from a meeting to help my child. Vanguard has welcomed my children into the mix with open arms, and I have never had to make excuses for having a life outside of work.

-Schuyler T.