As simple as explaining it to a child

A few weeks after the pandemic started, I moved to another team with a different boss and a change of responsibilities. As if trying to get used to this new way of working wasn't challenging enough.

Like everyone across the world, we were in lockdown, and that included my kids. Before the lockdown, I rarely worked from home, so I didn't have a place in my house that could be considered "my office". Also, for my kids, daddy in the home was equal to playtime. To make it even more challenging, my wife is a doctor and she kept going out to work for obvious reasons. That made my explanations to my kids harder to believe from their perspective.

“If I manage to explain it to my kids with simple words, I would achieve what no one else in the technology field has done before. Make the mortals understand what we do during our day”

If someone could take a photo, it would capture me alone with my two kids (who didn't believe I was working), new boss, colleagues, and team without a private place to work without interruptions.

But we can always make it more challenging.

Presenting to a large audience what my team and I had done the previous year, our long-term goals, and key initiatives, among others, everything was going as expected. Nothing could stop me. Nothing but two magic words. "Daddy, pee". My daughter was potty trained. I knew I only had 7 seconds between the warning and the accident. So I ran, and like in the cartoons, I only left a vanished smoke figure of me.

People were concerned and confused, but when I returned with the little guilty person in my arms, that was enough explanation.

As time went by, we all got used to these types of situations, but it was a bit stressful initially.

One day, having dinner with my family, we were talking about our day when my wife shared a situation she had at the hospital, to which my son said, "Mom heals children". With two words, he described my wife's job without hesitation. I was feeling lucky, so I asked. "And what does daddy do for a living?". He thought for a few seconds and replied, "talking with their friends!". Not too far from reality, but what in the other case could be summarized in 2 words, in my case, my family still doesn't understand what I do every day after 2 decades.

For my parents, as a student, entry-level, or technology leader, I'm the one who knows why their page (no, they don't have a website, they are referring to the email home page) is not loading. "Hi, mother. What? You might want to reach out to your internet provider…".

But if I manage to explain it to my kids with simple words, I would achieve what no one else in the technology field has done before. Make the mortals understand what we do during our day.

I've witnessed technicians explaining to end-users at such a low level that even I struggled to follow it. We complain about the stereotypes, but there are some cases where an upgrade in the human interface could be beneficial.

The other side of the coin is the users in denial. "I'm not technical; I don't understand those things". I get it. IT is not cool, but can you upload the spreadsheet?.

Being conscious of all of these, it was time to start trying.

Attempt 1: Same dinner. "Well, daddy develops and supports technical solutions so the rest of the company can do their job better". My wife was in tears. I lost my kids' attention in the "develops". Lousy attempt. I didn't even try to make it up. I know when I'm beaten.

Attempt 2: I picked up my kids and was driving back home when I got an eureka moment! "Imagine the car is technology. That's my job! Create cars so people can arrive home faster". Kids' minds are always a box of surprises. "But with the traffic lights, it can take more time". "What I meant…". Too late, we were talking about traffic lights, rush hour, etc.

Attempt 3: My son was playing video games when I got close to him and said. "Technology people created that game. Some applications are for fun, but others are for work. That's what I do". Someone learned something that day, me. I learned a lot about new video games. I gave up.

One Sunday, I heard my son talking with their cousins, and something stopped my heart. He was effusive, talking about school, his friends, and many other things. My brother-in-law recently moved to Spain, and my nephew explained his new job to my son. Kids like to compete, so if one share his father's job, the other won't be left behind. "My dad helps people at his work". So simple. So accurate. Technology is just a tool. My job IS to help people. My son found the two words I couldn't see.

Explaining something to a child is not simple. But children make it so simple to explain things to adults.