Dad Lights the Moon: What Kids Think We Do at Work

Ask a six-year-old what their parent does at work and you'll get some wonderful answers. "She types." "He goes to meetings." "She fixes people." And sometimes, an answer that stops you in your tracks.

Ben's version of the night shift

In our short film, Ben's dad works nights. He leaves when everyone else is getting ready for bed and comes home when the house is waking up.

So Ben drew him on a very tall ladder, reaching up to switch on the moon.

"Dad turns the moon on, so I'm not scared."

To Ben, that's the job. Dad goes out into the dark so the dark is less scary for everyone else.

To a child, every tired parent is a hero

Night shifts, early shifts, double shifts: millions of parents work hours that mean missed bedtimes and sleepy breakfasts. Nurses, factory workers, truck drivers, security guards, bakers, doctors, police officers. The kids don't always see the work itself. They see the empty chair at dinner and the coat by the door at dawn.

And instead of resenting it, many children turn it into something magical. Ben didn't draw a dad who's never home. He drew a dad who keeps the moon on.

A gift for the parent who works while you sleep

If someone in your family works nights, this kind of gift lands differently. It tells them their kids understand, in their own way, why they're gone, and that they're proud of them.

In the video, Ben's dad wears the drawing on every night shift. It's a small way to bring the family along.

Great occasions

• Father's Day or Mother's Day for a night-shift parent
• Christmas, especially if they'll be working over the holidays
• Nurses Week, a work anniversary, or a promotion
• The first day back after parental leave

Why embroidery

A drawing on paper stays at home. A drawing embroidered on a hoodie can go to work, into the break room, into the cold early morning. Embroidery is durable and washable, so it keeps up with real working hours. We stitch the drawing just as your child made it, the wobbly ladder and the slightly lopsided moon included.

A note for the parent at home

If you're the one holding down bedtime while your partner works nights, this is also a sweet way to keep them in the routine. Let your child give the drawing to the night-shift parent themselves, ideally at breakfast, when they finally overlap.

Ask your child this question

Tonight, ask: "What do you think I do at work?" Then ask them to draw it. You might be surprised, touched, or laughing too hard to answer. Either way, keep the drawing.

When you find the one you want to keep, take a photo and send it to us at anorashop.com. We'll embroider it on a hoodie or a t-shirt. Everyone gets 15% off during our grand opening with code BESTGIFT.

For everyone working tonight so their kids can sleep.