Community Workers
Here's What To Do
Take your child on a walk around your neighborhood or a local shopping center. Stop in one or a few local establishments (post office, grocery store, barber shop, pharmacy, etc.).
Ask your child if they know the names for the job each person is doing (like barber, cashier, crossing guard, etc.).
If possible, ask one of the employees if they can show your child how to do a part of their job.
Encourage your child to ask the employee questions about their job.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Before you go into a store, get down on your child's level and give them a hug.
Engage:
- "When I need to mail a package, I come to the post office. What do you know about jobs in a post office?"
- "My daughter is learning about jobs in school and we were wondering- can you tell us about your job? What are you working on right now?"
Encourage:
- If your child is feeling shy, encourage them by asking the first question. "Can you tell us about the tool you're using?"
- "Do you have any questions for the barber? Is there anything about the barber's job you are wondering about?"
Reflect:
- "What job seemed the most interesting to you? Why?"
Not quite ready?
If your child does not want to interact with community workers, start by visiting places and describing what jobs people are doing.
Ready for more?
Challenge your child to identify multiple community workers and talk about what they jobs do.
As your child masters this skill...
They will be able to describe the role of a worker in their community.