Bringing baby to work.

[ChicaLovesHerLocalGreengrocer]

lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,2271715,00.html

Whoever thought this was a good idea needs his (and it most definitely is his) head examined!

absolutely no bloody way

I went into work in a v limited way when dd was about 3 weeks . It was fine, because they needed me and I could swoop in and swoop out. But I CANNOT imagine it working for anyone other than about 3 people in the world..

OMG! I did NOT know that about the US!

My (English) friend lost her job over in the US because she couldn't work because of her baby and I never really understood why she didn't make more of an issue about it...

It's not going to work for most people in most situations.
However, with my dd who bf/slept in my arms all the time and slept well at night, I was bored and had lots of mental energy which would have been better served supervising PhD students (who in turn would have been better off with me than with the cover that was put in place).
DD also attended several meetings with dh when I was back at work and had childcare problems. On one occasion she was actively useful in breaking the ice between my very intimidatingly intellectual and shy dh and a group of teachers
I also know of a case where a baby helped to pass some very controversial curriculum reforms by smiling at the opponents all through the meeting, thus defusing tension

However, the bottom line is that you can't predict what sort of a child you will have or how your baby will be in any given situation, and you don't want to plan to carry on working with a baby and then discover that you are exhausted and the baby needs your constant attention.

Not a chance. Even if someone was brave enough to do it, it is not fair to colleagues, to baby, or to employer. Lose-lose.

Babies have to be the most distracting thing on the planet. However, they do not have maternity leave as a legal right in the US (never mind maternity pay!) so some employers might think that they are doing new mums a favour.

I took my baby in to a meeting a couple of weeks ago (one of my Keeping in Touch days) and he slept through most of it. He did wake up and gurgle towards the end but it was fine.

But yes, the idea of doing it on a regular basis is utter madness. I have my own office and work in an environment where people would be quite tolerant, but I still wouldn't consider it on a regular basis.

for one thing, I'm looking forward to going back to work to have a break from babies!

(gonna get trashed by all the teddy-beddy huns now, aren't I?)

Well I took my DS into uni with me for three months so I could finish my course! It was 9-5 five days a week, first went back when he was five weeks old.

He was a very easy baby though, didn't cry once! Just sat in my arms or slept or fed. I don't think I'd want to do it at work though, especially as I like the fact that work is usually a child free place and wouldn't want other people's babies there either!

I think they'd probably be a bit of a distraction in the classroom.

Oh this is craziness. There may be some jobs where it would work (nanny and nursery assistant spring to mind) but it wouldn't in 99% of jobs. It totally ignores the point that childcare is a job in itself.

Monkeybird, I don't think you will get trashed - I'm sure even the teddybears would agree that this is hardly a great arrangement for the baby either. But, hey, I am constantly amazed by how threads which seem so innocuous to me end up in flaming rows!

I worked from home when my eldest was 3m old. Very naive of me. It was a nightmare. Every time I settled down to do some work he would wake up and need me. It lasted about 3weeks. When he was 6m I took a job outside the home and he went to a cm.
As stillstanding says the article misses the point that childcare is a job in itself.

I read this over a coffee in Caffe Nero this morning -had to laugh at how little work each of the parents managed to do, together with the ability of small children to wipe emails with one wave of a chubby hand.

Imagine explaining to your boss that you've lost the merger proposal that you've been working on for the last 6 months when your child threw his wooden car at the keyboard or rammed a ricecake in the discdrive.

I was at the lack of statutory maternity pay in Australia and the US though. I had no idea.

Imogen Tilden (one of the parents featured in the article) is a good friend of mine. I am envious of a) her job, b) her lovely baby girl and c) her ridicuously shiny hair.

Completely crazy idea though. When will they
(ie nutso policy-makers) learn: looking after small children is a full-time job. It is not something that can be fitted around another full-time job.

Out of their minds.

I also went to work f/t when oldest was 3m - thankfully I'd also resisted pressure to miraculously express and b/feed whilst at work too (I know some people do it, but I'm sceptical quite frankly).

What selfish parents - The fact that they miss their child is irelevant - Babies adapt to whatever childcare situation they are placed (with care - I hope) in. Just because the parent feels guilty at returning to work, why should their child be dragged along like an appendage just to make them feel better. How boring for a baby, and how ridiculous of the parents to hope it'd work.

What a daft idea. I've had to go on several uni visits with my 18 yo DS and