Bring Your Child to Work (Every) Day

Bring Your Child to Work (Every) Day

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

filed under: ronda kaysen

Guest blogger Ronda Kaysen: Forget bringing your work home with you. This is bringing your home to work with you.

Some moms are returning to work after their babies are born with the baby in tow. They're forgoing the nanny and daycare circuit and instead plopping the bouncy seat in the office so they can nurse during the 10 AM conference call. The 15-minute coffee break is now called the dirty diaper break.

Jacqueline Grace started taking her daughter, Alexandra, to work with her when she was 2 months old. Alexandra is now 5 and has an office of her own where she can host tea parties and play with her own computer. "It has been challenging at times -- editing a book and hearing a 3-year-old sing 'Elmo' don't usually mix well -- but we all adapt and learn to be respectful of our office-mates," Grace, president and chief executive of LifeTime Media, told the New York Times.

Moms who haul their kids to the office swear by it. They can nurse when they need to, tend to their baby, and still keep up on their jobs. But they all say it's harder to juggle the two tasks at once. And one company that lets moms bring their newborns to work only pays moms 80 percent of their salary because "parents really don't maintain the same productivity levels," Susan F. Matthews, principal of Borshoff, a communications firm that has a Bring Your Baby to Work Program. Other companies allow new mothers to bring their babies to the office until they can crawl.

Hats off to those moms who nurse while hunched over a keyboard. Talk about multi-tasking! Moms, weigh in on this one. Is this the future of maternity leave? Does bringing your baby to the office facilitate bonding or is this a recipe for disaster?

filed under: ronda kaysen

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I think bringing kids to the workplace can work in certain situations. If you work in an office where you can close the door, it would work. If you’re in a cubicle, it would not. However, as a mother of three, I would choose the work from home scenario over bringing my child to work. When I brought my nine-year-old to work during the holidays, I about lost my mind trying to keep her occupied and out of trouble. I didn’t want her to distract those around me and therefore was much less productive.

- Pam B

Posted 01/06/09 01:24 PM

Wow. I have thought about it. I would love to do it on occasion, but there is no way I could focus and get things done, it is hard enough to stay of momlogic while I’m at work!

- rugbymom

Posted 01/06/09 01:24 PM

I love the idea, and I think that an adjusted salary to compensate for reduced production is fair. There should be limits though. If the child is old enough to feel confined by the arrangement, then maybe the benefits are fewer. For newborns, though, I think it’s fabulous (and about time)!

- JEANNE

Posted 01/06/09 01:34 PM

I think my nine year old daughter enjoys a day in the office with me every once in a while but if she came everyday I think she would get board with it pretty fast. I would much rather work at home where she has more freedom.

- Jenn

Posted 01/06/09 01:42 PM

I just started back in the office after four months off and think it’s much better separating. Granted I’m only in a couple of days so it’s easier for me to do that.

- JMM

Posted 01/06/09 01:58 PM

I did that with my first son. He was 4months old and stayed there with me until he was 14mos. BOY was it hard but I did it. I was so torn between being a good employee and being a good Mommy. My stress level was probably off the charts. I was a first time Mom on display for all of my co-workers. I worked for a small family biz but STILL! My second son was with me until he turned 6months. Still a challenge, I loved it but this time I was pumping. It was a good experience but not sure I would do it for a whole year.

- Candes

Posted 01/06/09 02:14 PM

I would love to have that as an opportunity. But I’m a teacher so I obviously can’t bring a baby to school with me. So I had to give up my salary to take care of my little guy. It’s been a financial nightmare but the thought of leaving him is even more of a nightmare.

- Anonymous

Posted 01/06/09 02:22 PM

I think it would be great in the early days… tougher as they get older.

- iMommy

Posted 01/06/09 03:01 PM

I took my son to work with me a few times when he was 4 and 5. It was ok for about 15 mins. I worked in a retirement home on the waitstaff. The old people wanted him to stay and they said they would keep him entertained. This one man did a good job, took him out by the lake to see the ducks. But then I was afraid he would fall in and the old man couldn’t get him out. Then he discovered the elevators and that was a nightmare. I just couldn’t concentrate. NIGHTMARE!!

- ashley

Posted 01/07/09 08:15 AM

It depends on the age of the child and the type of work that you do. I can take my child to work because mine is flexible and it helps to sell my products.

- Sue

Posted 01/08/09 05:06 PM

It depends on the age of the child and the type of work that you do. I can take my child to work because mine is flexible and it helps to sell my products.

- Sue

Posted 01/08/09 05:07 PM