Taking baby to work

[RedRoseMama]

Hi I'm a new mum to a 3 month old, I'm planning on going to back to work when baby is around 6 months. And there is a potential for me to take baby to work with me. If this can happen (depending on some work scenarios) This wouldn't be all the time there would be flexibility in me working from home sometimes too etc. But Im hoping to hear from some other mothers who may have taken baby to work and what your experience was like?

Depends on the type of work and management. I used to bring my baby in, shed sleep or be stationary and I could get alot done. As soon as she started crawling I wasnt able to bring her as it would not have been fair. I have since found other work (night work) where she can be at home looked after. It was kind of the owners to allow it but most workplaces it wouldnt be allowed. Childcare is ridiculous so if you can make it work another way, you could try that.

I nearly had a breakdown over covid trying to work and look after my then 3 year old. It was impossible and she was 3!
I wfh and my now 7 year old had to come home unexpectedly yesterday for the last few hours of school, not illness related so she perfectly fine. I still found it difficult to get on with my work as she was needing this and that and wanted to hang out. So even with an older child, working and looking after them is still incredibly difficult and doesn't work.

as others have suggested, taking your baby to work just wont work, nor would you be able to meaningfully wfh

Babies vary but mine were high maintenance and this would have been totally undoable. The most I could ever do at home with my babies around (on my non-work days I should add, once I became part time) was vagely keep track of emails on my phone. It was totally full on.

You need paid childcare or to get a grandparent/family member (or even baby's dad) to look after the baby while you work

Has your boss outlined what the new office-based job involves? Is it work that you are very familiar with or will you be learning on the job? If it’s the latter, it’s an ever worse idea.

Aside from the practicalities the workplace will nto be insured for this H&S would have a fit

It’s hard enough working with a puppy in the room but this is very unrealistic op. Look into childminders if you don’t want nursery.

Very unfair to your child tbh. They need 1-1 supervision and interaction to help them develop

Think of it this way, if you employed a nanny or a childminder to look after your baby, would you be happy if that was in a playpen in an office whilst the nanny did a full time office based job?? I can't imagine there's many people who would think that was appropriate.

Your manager has but thought that through at all and I imagine would quickly rescind any offer of that working. How much non customer facing work can they have in a hospitality environment?
Any way sounds a pretty shit experience for your baby for however many hours a day.
Your job and your job as a parent cant be done concurrently to level each require.
Get some childcare

This would 💯 not work!! You can't have a baby in work. It's ludicrous. A baby at 6 months needs stimulation not dumping in a play pen- no good mum would do this.

I worked from home when ds was 6 months, 1 day a week and I had DGM there looking after him and it was still hard work!

Not fair on the baby. Not fair on anyone.
I'm self employed and my baby is 16 weeks old. For the first 12 weeks or so I managed to get loads of work done when solo with her as all she needed were cuddles, feeds and naps, but she's now wanting more and more interaction, and she needs it developmentally too. I'm not going to deprive her of that. I'm parking the work and booking up activity sessions instead. At age 6 months this would be an absolute nightmare.
Either sort out proper childcare that meets all her needs, or don't go back to work yet. You can't expect to take her with you.

That's really devious of him!

Jesus Christ OP

You can't be serious?

You need a sit down conversation with your manager and ask "what exact scenario are you suggesting?"

I agree with PP in that your manager suggested somewhere to pump, etc, not to TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK

I cannot imagine a world outside of a nursery / preschool / similar setting where you're able to actually take your baby to work with you
How would you get any actual work done?
Do you really think that their insurance company would agree to this?

You can't do this. My ds1 was walking at 9 months, you can't just plonk a child in a playpen in the corner and crack on. They need stimulation, they need fed, sometimes rocked to sleep. When would you do any work? A mobile baby would go absolutely crackers shoved in travel cot all day. I promise this will do nothing for your 'bond.'

I would be fuming if I was a colleague paying for childcare whilst you play at going to work.

Get childcare like everyone else does or extend your mat leave.