"She knows that our work revolves around our computers, and also, for my husband, his phone. That familiarity has expanded how she plays. What once focused on classic pretend scenarios like cooking in her toy kitchen, running a café or dressing up has now evolved to include laptops, phones and 'being on a call.'"
"She now also has the expansion of knowledge knowing that you can also work at home and on your computer, which so many parents have the privilege of doing so these days. Through play, Casey's daughter has learned about different kinds of jobs."
"It's a constant reminder that our children are sponges and truly mimic everything that you do. It also was such a sweet reminder that we really are the biggest influence in our child's life."
Casey Machia, a virtual occupational therapist, and her husband Chad Aiken, a software sales professional, both work remotely from North Carolina. Their toddler daughter has grown up observing their work-from-home routines centered around computers and phones. This exposure has transformed the child's play patterns from traditional pretend scenarios like playing house or running a café to imitating virtual meetings and computer-based work. The daughter has developed an understanding that work can happen at home on computers. Casey shared a viral Instagram reel capturing this behavior, which resonated with thousands of parents experiencing similar situations. The moment highlighted how children absorb and replicate parental behaviors, reinforcing parents' significant influence on their children's development and imagination.
Read at Miami Herald
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