Given that it’s the Friday before the annual Father’s Day Sunday, it’s a bit late to start addressing strategies and packages to help you capitalize on this occasion. If you don’t have at the very least a restaurant promotion in place then you’re missing out (that’s provided your restaurants aren’t already at capacity and achieving multiple turns per shift).

Now I could use this post to talk about ideas for next year’s Father’s and Mother’s Days, but instead I want to discuss something far more philosophical and pervading. Let’s start with a question: would you want your children to work in hospitality? Why or why not?

I pose this for several reasons. First, if you do not want your progeny to assume the mantle, then does that mean that you have regrets about your chosen occupation? Do you not view this line of work as admirable? Moreover, how would this attitude affect your duties on a day to day basis?

Next, if you answered yes (and I hope you did!), then dwell for a minute on what aspects of your job contributed to this answer. In order words, what do you like most about working in the hospitality industry? What keeps you going, aside from the money? Do you believe that those qualities are suitable for your son or daughter’s disposition? Furthermore, what actions can you take to better prepare your children for a career in this trade?

I understand that it’s only natural for kids to rebel against their parents and strive to make their own mark on the world, but this doesn’t mean that they have to seek a totally disparate profession. In fact, outside of all the verbal guidance provided by parents and teachers as well as the profound impact of peers, it’s been shown that one of the strongest influences is what a child’s parents actually value. And these values are perceived through actions rather than words.

For instance, take an infant who observes her parents enjoying their spare time by reading silently. Through subconscious processing, she will be more inclined to pick up a book during her leisure time when she is a teenager struggling to grasp the complexities of language or a young adult looking to expand her mind beyond what’s taught in the lecture halls. The same goes with television; if you come home every day after work and the first thing you do is kickback in front of the tube, then do you think that will impact your children’s likelihood to also watch TV or play video games after school instead of first completing their homework?

Pertinent to our line of work, if your kid sees that you are passionate about your job, then that will definitely rub off, too. This is something I can recall firsthand as both my son and my daughter are active in related fields. Moreover, anyone who has met with me knows I have procured quite the eclectic collection of art over the years. In order words, I have expressed my appreciation and value for art through the continual practice of buying pieces and displaying them throughout the house. It’s no wonder that my daughter works as a sculptress on the hand and my son is passionate about fiction writing.

Lest we forget how great the impact is that we have on our children and for that matter the next generation of hoteliers. Do any of your kids work in fields similar to yours?

(Article published by Larry Mogelonsky in HOTELSmag on June 13, 2013)