I brought my daughter to a coffee meeting ☕️

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One time, I showed up to a coffee meeting with my toddler.

My wife had to go into the office, so I had a choice to make. Cancel and reschedule or bring her along.

When we strolled into the coffee shop, you could see the shock on the guy’s face.

But after the meeting wrapped up, he said it was one of the best and most memorable meetings he’s ever had.

It wasn’t ideal to have to bring my kid along, but that’s the reality of being a working parent.

Sometimes those two worlds bleed into one, and it turns out just fine.

That moment stuck with me.

The vast majority of our days are spent working.

That's just the reality for most of us. So why not show them what you actually do?

Why not let them see the other version of you, the one who negotiates deals, shakes hands, and talks about things that aren't related to bathroom habits?

If you’ve ever contemplated bringing your kids on a business trip with you, but it sounds too intimidating, it’s not as hard as you think.

The Part Where You Think It'll Be a Trainwreck

The idea of mixing a business environment with a three-year-old who refuses to wear pants sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

You're picturing the moment your kid interrupts a Zoom call to announce they need to poop. You're imagining the judgmental looks from colleagues who think you've lost control of both your calendar and your life.

The reality is that most of that anxiety lives in your head.

Henley Vazquez, CEO of Passported and a family travel expert, has been bringing her two kids on European business trips for years. Her advice is simple…

Don’t wing it.

Before your business trip, map out a plan for what happens when you’re in meetings.

Odds are, if you’re bringing one kid, you’re bringing the family. So while you’re doing the “business” side of the trip, your family can do some exploring.

Here are a couple of extra tips to make your family business trips as smooth as possible:

Set expectations before you go. Tell your kids what the trip will look like. You'll be working during the day. They'll get to explore a new place. There could be a pool at the hotel or zoo nearby. Give them something to look forward to that isn't just watching you type emails.

Extend the trip by a day. Give yourself breathing room. Get there a day early so you're not racing from the airport to a meeting. Or, add a day at the end so the trip doesn't feel like you dragged them along and then abandoned them in another city.

Most importantly, don't forget they're there.

That sounds so obvious, but it's easy to get so locked into work mode that you forget the whole point was actually to be with them.

For me, as my kids get older, the pull to bring them with me grows stronger.

I want my kids to see what I do so they can understand that work isn't something that takes me away from them. 

It's the thing that challenges me, fulfills me, and exhausts me.

Next time you're booking a business trip and wondering how you'll survive another week away from your kids, consider bringing them along.

It's less of a trainwreck than you think.

And it might just be one of the best meetings you've ever had.

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