Ask your kids for career advice.
Seriously.
At Josie, we work with hundreds of working parents navigating the wild intersection of career and family. We’re constantly asked for tips on how to manage it all…especially during parental leave, return-to-work transitions, and the day-to-day chaos of raising kids while growing a career.
My son turned 7 this year, and I’ve been trying to figure out how I can be more intentional about creating moments of connection with him. And this one has become our #1 working parent hack of 2025.
The modern working parent is constantly toggling between meetings, Slack notifications, school pick-ups, and the elusive search for work-life balance. And in that swirl, it’s easy to feel like your family and your work self have to stay in separate lanes.
But when you invite your kids into your work world, you’re not just modeling leadership…you’re also getting unexpectedly brilliant advice.
Recently, I was venting to my 7-year-old son about how tough sales had been. “How do you think I can sell more?” I asked.
He paused. Then said: “Maybe go outside? Like a lemonade stand.”
I laughed at first. But then I realized… he’s right. I do need to get out more. I’ve been hiding behind Zoom. His advice reminded me to be more visible, shake hands, and get in front of people – in real life.
Another day, I was feeling discouraged after receiving a “no” on something I really wanted. I turned to my 4-year-old daughter and asked, “What would you do if someone said no to you?”
She shrugged and said, “Think about me. And just don’t care so much.”
Honestly? That’s elite-level emotional resilience. She reminded me of my “why”- my family – and helped me shake off the rejection faster than any TED Talk could.
I noticed this hack does three amazing things:
And from a career coaching standpoint? It’s genius. You’re practicing vulnerability, creativity, and perspective-shifting-all leadership essentials.
Next time you’re stuck in a rut, or have a challenge at work that’s weighing on you, approach your child and just ask:
“Hey kiddo, what would you do?”
At a minimum, you might get an LOL answer that lightens the load – and more than likely you’ll get some sage advice.
At Josie, we believe that working parenthood isn’t a liability- it’s an advantage. Little coaches give us perspective – and that’s something we can always use.
