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Original poster

Photos of your kids at the workplace

28 replies

julie501 · 03/04/2018 16:12

What is the point?

We've all got an image in our minds of what our children look like, so isn't it the case that people like showing off their offspring to workmates rather than it being a visual reminder of our status as parents? I refuse to put any tangible momentos of family members on display, even though they're very photogenic so I can't be accused of vanity. Photos should be restricted to home and handbags, not employment.

Does anyone disagree?

OP posts:

NerrSnerr · 03/04/2018 16:15

I like to see what my colleagues children look like so it doesn’t bother me. Each to their own.

Tumilnaughts · 03/04/2018 16:20

I like seeing photos of my own family as well as others. I spend all day with the people I work with and it's nice to remember that we all have lives outside of the drudgery of our work day.

DullAndOld · 03/04/2018 16:24

I think it's really unprofessional and holds women back in the workplace.
I have a part time manager in my volunteer role, she is only there for a few hours a week, all she talks about is her child, and there are photos of the child all over the office. You would think she was the only woman in the world to have given birth, the way she goes on about it.
She (supposedly) comes there to work not to gaze at pictures of her child that she last saw about 2 hours ago. I confess I did draw fangs on one pic...
Men don't do it do they? that is why they get promoted quicker.

eurochick · 03/04/2018 16:26

Of course men do it. Ffs.

Pretty much everyone with kids has pictures of them in every place I have worked.

DullAndOld · 03/04/2018 16:27

really? I thought men usually kept their family pics in their wallet...(generalising wildly , OK) while women have kid pics all round their work station along with various fluffy gonks.

toffee1000 · 03/04/2018 16:29

Drawing fangs on a picture of someone else’s child?? How rude and disrespectful.

Loads of people do it. Entirely normal for both men and women.

ScreamingValenta · 03/04/2018 16:29

I disagree, OP. I don't have any children, but I find seeing photos of my colleagues' children quite interesting - looking at the resemblance and so forth. It's by no means only women who display these photos in my office - my male colleagues have plenty! I'd far rather see family photos than the twee inspirational memes some people choose - but, anything that makes someone feel happy and comfortable at work has to be a good thing.

Fieau · 03/04/2018 16:29

The only people at my office with pictures of their children on their desks are men.

I have a picture of my dog on mine

TheNoseyProject · 03/04/2018 16:31

We have a clear desk policy so I have my kids as my PC desktop. So does DH. I doubt anyone/many people ever see but it makes me smile.

I honestly think you’re being a bit overboard.

Passportto · 03/04/2018 16:32

Oh I nearly posted about this earlier. I'm old and started climbing the career ladder when most women packed up work as soon as they had DC. I was always coached not to put up photos of DC, as it makes you look like you'd prefer not to be at work . Strangely for men the opposite is true - apparently family photos make them look like committed types with good motivation for doing well at work.

I don't like to see it TBH.

Aragog · 03/04/2018 16:33

Men don't do it do they? that is why they get promoted quicker.

Definitely not in my experience. I have been in DH's office, those of his colleagues and other people we know. Those with their own designated areas all seem to have mementos from home, be it photographs of their family, pictures drawn by their children, mugs with photos on, etc.

More males than females in those areas I go to.

Definitely hasn't held the men back - they are either top management, middle management or well not heir way (as much younger.)

DullAndOld · 03/04/2018 16:33

I know the fangs were a bit childish but there are literally pics of this child everywhere. Meanwhile, essential work is not being done by this person.

Passportto · 03/04/2018 16:34

That said, I don't like all the trinkets and stuffed toys some people have on their desks either. I'm sure they think it's fun and interesting, I think it's unprofessional and I hate any kind of clutter on my desk

Oblomov18 · 03/04/2018 16:34

My boss (male) has pictures of his dc and also as his screensaver.

Hinders women's promotion?

MumofBoysx2 · 03/04/2018 16:35

Why not have a picture up, in your own workspace, what's wrong with it?

Aragog · 03/04/2018 16:35

I don't have a designated area as such, so don't have photographs pinned to the wall, though in the room I work in most I do have some things made for me by the children I teach. Those that do have designated rooms/desks do often have images of family or girlfriends/boyfriends tucked away somewhere.

I like seeing personal touches of home in the work place. Reminds us all of a healthy home/work life balance, and that work is only one aspect of our lives.

DullAndOld · 03/04/2018 16:36

it was just my 'opinion'.....I am allowed an opinion right? thanks.

VickieCherry · 03/04/2018 16:36

Men definitely have photos of their children on their desks. What a bizarre thing to say!

MumofBoysx2 · 03/04/2018 16:37

DullandOld your name is so appropriate for that comment!

Aragog · 03/04/2018 16:38

DullAndOld Tue 03-Apr-18 16:24:21
I think it's really unprofessional ...

I confess I did draw fangs on one pic...

I think drawing fangs on someone's photograph of their child is somewhat more unprofessional than having a photograph pinned up. I know which I'd rather have going on in my work place, thats for sure

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 03/04/2018 16:40

Dh works for a software company, it's 99 percent male and everyone with a partner/children has a picture of them on their desks. Having a picture of me and ds there hasn't hindered his promotion prospects at all in fact the cynic in me would argue it perhaps works differently for men.

It's not something I've ever done but that's because I've always had service users accessing my desk area and having had a couple of stalkers over the years, I liked to keep my private life out of work. My male bosses always had pictures of their families though.

Timeforabiscuit · 03/04/2018 16:41

In my experience, the number of photos of family is directly proportional to the amount of crap they put up with at work.

If they don't have kids, its the cat, garden, boat.

Once I saw a wallpaper sample framed, I gave them a wide berth.

haverhill · 03/04/2018 16:41

I have a small pic os DS on my desk. If anyone found it unprofessional I would simply fire them.
Seriously, men have pics of their kids too. My immediate boss’s screensaver is his 3 kids. I genuinely cannot fathom why it would bother anyone.

DullAndOld · 03/04/2018 16:41

oh mum of boys are you mocking my username? how original and funny! ha ha ha!

Sorry but coming into a part time role, doing about a quarter of the job description, acting as though you are the only woman on the planet to give birth, banging on about your child non stop, or your weight, then going on the sick, while papering a general office with pics of your kid...you deserve fangs. :)

toffee1000 · 03/04/2018 16:43

No you don’t. You just keep quiet and nod along, don’t do nasty sneaky things behind their back.

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