Have any of you seen this in practice or done it yourself? I'd be interested in hearing some best practices or hear how you might handle these situations if your employer allowed you this option. For example, did you wear your baby a lot? What about when you're on the phone to clients and your baby starts crying? Do you alert the office when it's nap time so that folks aren't yelling and whatnot?
I imagine if you have a private office then this arrangement is a lot more viable than if you work in a cube farm, but that sort of devalues working parents who might be lower on the totem pole, no? This is a relatively new thing that's gaining the acceptance of the mainstream, so it's going to be interesting to see how the kinks get ironed out.
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I was lucky enough to have this situation twice now. Granted, I was offered each job because of family already working at the company, but I was a regular employee each time.
First time, I started as an accounting assistant in a small office when my daughter was 4 months. She spent most of her time in the playpen with plenty of toys, or one of those exersaucers. She was easy going, and just napped whenever. Anytime another employee was on break, they happily took her outside to play. When the company relocated to another state, I lost this wonderful position.
Second time, I had my daughter, now 2 and my son, just 2 months. He spent most of his time in the playpen or bumby chair and my daughter had her own lap desk with plenty to color and play with. I was let go after a few months due to slow down in the industry.
Both jobs, I only worked about 20 hours per week. Enough to make some needed cash for my household and not cut into fun playtime at home with the kids and my tons of housework. It was great to not have to worry about enrolling them in daycare, or the added cost.
I’m looking for another just like it.
I do research on babies at work and have a detailed website about how these programs work in practice (http://www.babiesatwork.org/) which also contains a growing list of companies that allow babies in the work environment on a regular basis. These programs actually do work just as well in cubicle environments as they do in office environments–at least within structured programs (with clear expectations/guidelines, etc.)
It does work and since I was breastfeeding for the seven months he was with me, I was “wearing” him quite frequently. I had a bouncy chair in my office, a jumpy chair in the doorway and since I work in the children’s publishing industry, people on the phone understood when my son would start to cry and I’d either call them back or someone in the office would kindly take the baby for a walk for those few minutes. I had my stroller so we’d take a walk outside to get fresh air every once in a while (which was good for the both of us) and somehow we managed to get through it.
It can definitely be done. I’ve been bringing my baby–now 20 months old–to work with me since she was 3 weeks old. I work part-time, generally 25-30 hrs a week. I have a port-a-crib and, now, a fair number of toys, none of them battery-operated; I also had a bumbo chair when she was small so I could move her around with me. I am generally into baby-wearing but not so much while sitting at a desk; when she was itsy-bitsy she would sleep on a pillow in my lap while I typed. I work in a small office (2 rooms), so there wasn’t much room for bouncy seats, etc. Now she’s pretty much free-range, and I’ve babyproofed a bit so she can’t get into too much trouble. The phone thing is sometimes a little tricky, but I just explain we have an office baby, and people seem to understand. (I do generally wait to make big long complicated calls during naptime–and the office is generally a little quieter during naptime but mostly just because the baby is sleeping and not because we go out of our way to be quiet.) I’ve been blogging about our experiences: babyatwork.blogspot.com, if anyone’s interested!
My daughter is 2 1/2 and I’ve been taking her to work with me since she was 2 months old. I was most fortunate in that I’ve had my own bookkeeping business for several years, (with this plan in mind) and when all my clients found out I was pregnant they were all very excited and encouraged me to bring her when I came to work. Some of my work I do at home but the majority is done in my clients’ offices. Since my schedule is flexible I can adjust for anything that might come up, illness, potty training, etc. They have all been very supportive, however, it takes some planning and lots of interesting, and quiet toys and activities. I believe this arrangement has contributed to her easy going personality. She is well rounded, friendly, well behaved, outgoing and gets along with people of any age. I must admit that if I had had to put her in day care at such a young age I would have closed my business to stay home with her.
I actually was fortunate enough to do the same with my first two children. I worked PT from home and went into the office on days that there was less “activity” so as to not intrude on my coworkers. I would schedule my time in office during naps (which I was very lucky to have 3-hour nappers in the afternoons). It worked out great, and I did not have my own office.
We have a family business started by my father which I’ve been employed at for almost 12 years. During that time, I’ve had 2 children (1 before starting there and was already in school) and have been able to bring them in to work with me. Right now my 2 year old is the only one that comes with me to work, my other two now attend school. At one point I had 2 children here at work with me…fun!! It’s great, and challenging all at the same time but because it’s all family in the office, it’s pretty easy to have my children here. We setup a room to hold all of the baby/children “entertainment” along with a portable crib. The two most difficult situations are the phone issue, and days when my son needs my full attention all day. I work 32 hours a week because I also drop off and pick up my children from school every day. This arrangement is very important to me because I was a teen mother and know how it is to be alone afterschool. My children, especially my teenage daughter will always be picked up after school by me, my husband, or their grandparents. Being able to bring my children to work with me helps us to have a very special bond early on and I thank my father everyday for creating this environment for us!
I am at work right now with my youngest son who is 1 1/2 years old. I work PT and he has been with me since he was 3 months old. Considering he had some health issues, it was he came with me or I had to quit. My employer and the organization I have my office with were both pretty understanding. It has been challenging at times; but it can be done. He has attended presentations with me on occassion and it the “mascot” if you will of the building. We are reaching the end of the line for this arrangement only because he is too adventurous and mischievious–even in my enclosed office. However, it made a difference in the beginning. I am very loyal to my employer for their support…something other employers should consider!
I work part time (10-20 hrs./wk.)and am also a full-time student. Money is very tight for our family, so I need to work, but I wouldn’t be able to if I couldn’t bring my 3 month old daughter with me. I work at the local library, and most of my work is on the computer, so it is very easy to wear my baby while I work. On the rare occasion that she takes a long daytime nap (she’s a catnapper 10-20 min.), I put her in her carseat (there’s no room for a playpen) and take the opportunity to shelve books since I don’t want to be climbing up and down the stool while I’m wearing her. Since a library is an environment where children are expected, it works very well. My baby is a very content, happy baby, maybe because she is held a lot, but if she was a fussy baby, it might not work so well. Like some of the others said, the phone is the biggest challenge. Fortunately, I am usually there with one of my co-workers, so they are generally willing to take charge of answering the phone, or to take the chance to hold my baby for a bit while I use the phone. I also think it would be much harder with a bottle-fed baby, as bottlefeeding requires both hands, but you can breastfeed one-handed once you get the hang of using a sling! I also took my daughter to school with me some last semester, but I’m a music student and it doesn’t work to take her with me to rehearsals since I can’t pop out if she gets fussy. I would really encourage employers and mothers to be willing to give it a try; customers love babies! Just be flexible and have a back-up plan for in case it doesn’t work out.
we just started our business – the INKtastic Custom Designer and are running it out of our basement initially. We have 6 children and having them be loud while we’re on the phone with customers is a problem we’re currently struggling with ourselves.