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Original poster

Would you be able to take your child into work?

113 replies

ScamTheSchool · 19/10/2021 18:57

Our school is having a "take your child to work" day next month. It is compulsory and there will be no other alternative program provided. We have to provide the name of the company he will be going to. They encourage girls to go with dads and boy to go with a female relative or acquaintance. [I'm not in the UK]

DS has SN and I'm a SAHM mainly because the school would not allow him in the after school club due to this. DH works in a law firm, and would have had to subscribe him two months ago. It's a national initiative so every large company provides something. We received the info from school today; and had assumed that children not going would be provided with an alternative program at school. This is not the case.

Due to his SN there is no way he could participate in the program at DH's office.
PIL is retired and MIL didn't work post DC.
BIL & SIL live too far away.
No other family.
I have done a bit of freelance work over the past couple of years, but can't give a company name and am not currently employed.
He wouldn't cope with going to one of the large company open days and anyway it seems they were booked out months ago. He's our eldest, so we didn't know about this until recently.

I have to arrange something, but have no idea what or how! Whilst I know some other people, there's no one I could reasonably ask to look after my SN child at their place of work for the day. I could keep him home and explain what my last job was, but I'd have to lie on the form to the school and I imagine he will have to give a talk or write up what he did.

Would you be able to do this?

OP posts:
reluctantbrit · 19/10/2021 21:33

We had this when DD was in Y7. DH was on a work trip in the US, I had one of the worst weeks at work, there would be no way I could even think about showing her anything. On top of it HR was very uncomfortable for insurance purposes.

Also, DD would have been absolutely bored, I work in finance, the last thing she ever would do. My friends are lawyers, Nurses, business consultants, accountants. Nothing remotely interesting.

In the end the school asked if parents could take more than one child and she went with a classmate whose mum works in a primary school and the girls helped with forest school.

In my view these days are pointless. DD knows my office and some of my colleagues from short visits and a party.

ElephantandGrasshopper · 19/10/2021 21:34

My dp works with dangerous machinery and my work is confidential and inappropriate for a child to hear, so no, our kids couldn't come to either of our workplaces on a normal working day.

This isn't really relevant though, as you are asking about a national scheme, where employers put on special activities for that day. I think your DH should be asking his employer to adapt some of their activities so that your ds can participate.

liveforsummer · 19/10/2021 21:37

Pre covid this works the a problem but currently there's absolutely no way dc wound be allowed in to the school I work in im sure

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RiaOverTheRainbow · 19/10/2021 21:42

Can you ask his classmates' parents if any of them would have space somewhere suitable? If not then just talk to the school.

Madwife123 · 19/10/2021 21:45

I’m a midwife. Not sure my patients would appreciate a 6 yr old in the corner while they are in labour!

Mummyoflittledragon · 19/10/2021 21:49

It sounds as though you need to seek alternative provision to avoid this warning.

Can you perhaps volunteer in a charity shop or other charity sorting place, food bank etc? Maybe a priest or vicar would oblige allow you both to shadow her/ him for a while.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 19/10/2021 22:06

Are there any community cafe type places near you. There's one at the church near me, all voluntary workers and they are happy to take work experience students for a day or so.

badlydrawnbear · 19/10/2021 22:16

No, because I am a nurse. DC could have stayed at home and claimed to be experiencing DH’s WFH still job, but DH died last month so now not an option. Actually, as I am currently off sick, my DC doesn’t have a parent who goes to work. What would happen to DC in that case if this is mandatory? We don’t have relatives close enough with jobs.

NellieBertram · 19/10/2021 22:26

Do you have any friends that work in a shop or library? Who would let you and your DS go and spend a morning with them?

Kite22 · 19/10/2021 22:30

@Madwife123

I’m a midwife. Not sure my patients would appreciate a 6 yr old in the corner while they are in labour!
Grin
NothingIsWrong · 19/10/2021 22:34

I work in a police station (staff not officer) so no, I absolutely could not.

SockQueen · 19/10/2021 22:47

No. I don't think 5 year olds and operating theatres would be a good combination.

I do remember one weekend working on ICU, when the on call consultant arrived with her 7 year old in tow. Apparently he hadn't wanted her to go to work, so had stowed away in the back footwell of the car and only popped up when she was parking! Shock

Naturally, this was not a very suitable environment for a small boy and he ended up having to be looked after in the coffee room by a nurse until he could be taken home.

didireallysaythat · 19/10/2021 22:50

No.

  1. We're not insured for minors to be in the building
  2. I can't imaging inviting kids in would be consistent with my employer's covid policy seeking to reduce risk, when schools around here are full of covid. Schools are cancelling open evenings around here ...
Original poster
ScamTheSchool · 20/10/2021 06:35

I think your DH should be asking his employer to adapt some of their activities so that your ds can participate.
The application for places at DH's place of work closed two months ago. We got the letter yesterday stating there won't be alternative provision. And DS is never going to be a lawyer, he will also never sit through a morning of talks about being a lawyer... it's neither realistic nor fair to put DS in that position.

Seriously if this is true surely there is a precident for children who cannot go due to additional needs or does the country you are in not believe in SEN?
I'm not sure our school does! When I last pointed out that they need to keep to the terms of the ECHP equivalent the class teacher looked at me and said "I'm a primary school teacher, not a special school teacher!"
My radical idea was that, since he finds multi-part questions hard to follow, each separate part of the question could be highlighted in a different colour and then a dot of that colour placed on the line where he should write the answer.

Sorry to hear that badlydrawnbear Bear I don't know what they would expect.

Maybe a priest or vicar would oblige allow you both to shadow her/ him for a while.
I don't pay my church taxes, so I can't see that being allowed.

Sounds like they just want to get rid of the kids and have the day off.
You said it first 😂 (although DH's initial reaction was the same)!

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 20/10/2021 06:41

No, can’t take children on construction sites. That’s what dh and I both do.

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 20/10/2021 06:42

What would your DS like to do? Could you approach somewhere that’s close to his interests and see if they’d let him come in even if it’s only for part of the day?

Waxonwaxoff0 · 20/10/2021 06:58

No, I work in a factory with dangerous machinery and my ex husband is a train driver so DS could not come to work with either of us for health and safety reasons.

PinkWaferBiscuit · 20/10/2021 07:00

I'm not sure our school does! When I last pointed out that they need to keep to the terms of the ECHP equivalent the class teacher looked at me and said "I'm a primary school teacher, not a special school teacher!"

Arrrgh as a primary school teacher this makes me so cross. Your poor son is being massively let down here. I'd actually be considering moving him if that was an option as so far everything you've said about the school shows they don't have your child's best interests at heart.

garlictwist · 20/10/2021 07:06

Oh we had this when I was at school. My parents were both social workers so no way I could have gone with them. I ended up going with my friend to her mum's work who was an academic and we just hung around her office all day playing solitaire on the PC. Total waste of time.

slapmyarseandcallmemary · 20/10/2021 07:21

No way. I work in a residential home with young adults who have various learning difficulties and challenging behaviour. The liability insurance would never cover it and I would not allow it incase my kids were hurt. Not a chance.

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 20/10/2021 07:26

You must be joking, I spend my day taking gangrenous toes off and dressing massive smelly wounds. My DS would have got PTSD coming into work with me!

RampantIvy · 20/10/2021 07:27

Church taxes?
What country is this?

I doubt that every child will be going to a parent's workplace TBH.

HandforthParishCouncilClerk · 20/10/2021 07:30

I currently work in majors in A&E. We’re really short staffed at the moment - wonder if I can teach my 4yo to take someone’s BP…… Grin

honkytonkheroe · 20/10/2021 07:34

No I wouldn’t. I work in a criminal law firm with details of sexual offences and other serious offences around/being discussed etc. I wouldn’t even bring my son in for a few minutes to wait for me. Definitely not a place for anyone under 16 minimum. Could you create a company? Seems a bit extreme I know. Alternatively just say he was ill.

pussycatlickinglollyices · 20/10/2021 07:39

boy to go with a female relative well that's you, realistically, isn't it?

He's going to have lots of fun learning about food shopping, preparing food and cooking it, laundry, cleaning and maintaining a family home, refuelling your car (checking oil and tyre pressures) and any other random task you choose to do that day.

It ticks the box of "doing what my Mum does" so the school can accept that or organise an alternative.