Bringing baby to work?

purplerozes

I run an afterschool program. I don't get any paid time off and we cannot afford the high daycare costs around us. My boss said I can bring my son into work once I come back. What are your thoughts? It it too dangerous to bring a baby into a middle/high school for 3 hours a day, 3 days a week?

JunkieBrewster

I would imagine you'd have so many helpers, it would probably be ideal.

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purplerozes

I plan to return to work after 6 weeks. Besides the frustrating lack of paid maternity leave, daycares don't like to take part-time babies AND charge you when you aren't there. We simply cannot afford that. We are still looking and my MIL will take care of the baby 1 day a week.

purplerozes

Yes, the germs. Schools are full of sick people. However, I assume id be bringing at all home with me anyway. I hope to find a new, more lucrative, job come June so my daycare situation would change then.

AllTheTeaInChina

I wouldn't pass baby around & would baby wear. I don't think the risk is that much greater than having other children at home- toddler in daycare or school age kids.

Agree with PP, it will be easier with a newborn vs a 6-8mo old that is starting to get mobile.

JunkieBrewster

Maybe I am is man out. Germs didn't scare me, and I would have no problem taking baby, but would likely babywear until was a tiny bit older.

MaineMama

Are you planning on nursing, and if so, are you comfortable nursing around the students? Would you be able to take adequate breaks to nurse in private?

And FWIW, my ex-H works in our local HS, there have already been 4 cases of Whooping cough this year in students. All of the students who are sick were immunized before hand. And I find that teens are worse at covering their mouths when they cough than little kids.

Manateearmz

I would find it impossible to do any work between feedings, changings and fussy times.

I would be concerned about the germs but mostly my productivity and workflow.

RaeChay

purplerozes said:

Yes, the germs. Schools are full of sick people. However, I assume id be bringing at all home with me anyway. I hope to find a new, more lucrative, job come June so my daycare situation would change then.

Hmm... a teachable moment. 

While it is very possible you could bring germs or illness home with you, there are a lot of significant differences between your own immunity and that of a 6 week old newborn. Not least of which is the fact that you (most likely) will have had your flu vaccine by now and that 6 week old will not have had just about any vaccines at all....

I would soooooo not plan to take a 6 week old to work. I get that you're in a tough spot financially but if it were me, I would beg borrow and steal in order to find babysitting and NOT bring a baby to work, due to 

#1 germs during cold and flu season, and 

#2 holy hell does that ever sound SUPER DUPER inconvenient and distracting and I just don't even think I could focus for even 5 minutes. You also don't know what kind of baby you are going to have. You could be gestating the most chill perfect low maintenance kiddo that ever existed, or you could be like a gf of mine and baby could need round the clock feeding and burping and holding and omg everything. 

Just my 2 cents though. 

AlwaysForgetful

And school is worse than daycare because??? I've watched kids in some daycares and I can say that I know me niece and nephew (middle schoolers) wash more, understand "don't touch baby" and don't wipe as much snot all over as the kids at daycare do. Either way, make hand sanatizer you friend.

Not that either situation is ideal, but I can think of much worse things. IF you do it, I would instill mandatory hand washing (my school use to do that without a baby), maybe pick one or 2 of the kids to help you with baby every day/week. I am sure some will see it as a "prize". Make sure they wash their hands, aren't ill and all that. Try to keep others away from baby until it is their turn. How large is this group? And others are right, once baby becomes semi interested in those around them, it is not easy. I'm sure you will make it work if you have to. 

Workflow... I guess that will depend on what exactly you do in the program. I have seen some where it was just to keep the kids amused after school. Not much to do but supervise. Others where it was more homework help based. That type could be a little trickier.

Then again, I take mine to bowling (anyone 6months and above is in daycare there). I can say some of those adults are pretty gross. Still, no issues with either of the girls who frequented staying with me. They got sick the least of any child because I was very strict over touching, hand sanitizer, and hovering.

byrne15

I could see doing it if you were in a pinch here and there, but not on a regular basis.

My boss has told me that I could bring my kids to work if I needed to (I work in a nursing home therapy dept.). I brought them once....it was kind of awful.

jlgasper

I am a houseparent for a boarding school, basically raising someone else's kids. I work a 6 days on/3 days off rotation, on duty is 24 hours a day. I have 12 4th-6th grade girls. Our policy is that I may take my kid to work with me, so that's what I've done since the very beginning (after 12 weeks leave and she's 14 months now). It's tricky to balance work and baby needs but it can be done. I don't worry about the germs. The illnesses we see here are the same illnesses you see any time you go out in public and babies have to develop an immune system sometime. Maybe my situation is unique because of the schedule and environment but I am grateful that I can bring DD with me instead of paying someone else to raise her for me. As far as the kids, there are some that love spending time with her (very helpful when I need a quick minute to myself) and others that have no interest in her.

MaineMama

jlgasper said:

 I am grateful that I can bring DD with me instead of paying someone else to raise her for me.

I would edit this sentence out of your post. Makes you sound pretty bitchy to daycares/those who need daycare

rshamos

I own my business, and I don't plan on taking baby to work. Fortunately, I can telecommute a couple days a week and go in just one day a week. We deal with a lot of elderly patients who are immuno suppressed. Also, a lot of people lie about their health status. As a FTM, I am too paranoid. I would say for you to go with your gut, maybe try one day a week, if your DC will let you just do two days.

JRod13

We don't say elementary school teachers are "raising our kids," why do you think it's ok to say that parents who put their kids in daycare are paying someone to raise them? That's ignorant. News flash- even when your kid is in daycare, you are still the child's primary influence and constant. I've luckily never had to put DS in daycare, but if I had to, I certainly wouldn't take kindly to someone stating that I was paying someone else to raise him.

mammatoomc

I think its a great idea! Like some PP's... the school has no more germs than a daycare and it enables you to stay with your own child as opposed to someone else taking the baby. You said its ONLY 3 hours a day and 3 days a week! Thats nothing! I would baby wear as an infant-- get a portable RockNPlay or bouncer for when you need to put LO down. And just sanitize!! And just set some boundaries with the kids so you're comfortable. I think they will love it and I think you will too. 

colliebabe

MaineMama said:

Are you planning on nursing, and if so, are you comfortable nursing around the students? Would you be able to take adequate breaks to nurse in private?

This was my question too. Are you the director and there are counselors that you supervise?  Or are you working directly with the students and responsible for watching them?  That might make a difference on how easy/hard it is to take breaks for feedings and diaper changes and such.

And just a big WTF to @jlgasper. So fathers/SOs who work aren't raising their children? My kid isn't even in daycare and I take offense to that statement. 

Eora3

I can't see how it is going to work well when your attention will need to be on the baby. Feedings, diaper changes, and crying all happen very frequently at six weeks. If I was the parent of one of the kids in the program, I wouldn't be happy with it at all. They are paying for their child to be entertained and supervised which will be challenging with a newborn. I know it is only a three hour program but you can't guarantee that baby will sleep the whole time.

That being said, since you have the opportunity, you could always give it try. I would baby wear and not allow any of the kids to touch baby. I have no clue what kind of recourse you would have if one of the kids accidentally injured the baby.

Eora3

I can't see how it is going to work well when your attention will need to be on the baby. Feedings, diaper changes, and crying all happen very frequently at six weeks. If I was the parent of one of the kids in the program, I wouldn't be happy with it at all. They are paying for their child to be entertained and supervised which will be challenging with a newborn. I know it is only a three hour program but you can't guarantee that baby will sleep the whole time.

That being said, since you have the opportunity, you could always give it try. I would baby wear and not allow any of the kids to touch baby. I have no clue what kind of recourse you would have if one of the kids accidentally injured the baby.

Manateearmz

List of things to ask a daycare provider:

Do you think you're raising my child?

If the answer is "yes" run for the hills ladies.

JCM285

I am a middle school teacher and my coworkers want me to bring LO to see them towards the end of my leave (I am taking 4 months off). Even though I know I will need to take LO out of the house way before that point, I can't help but be nervous about bringing him to school. Whenever I think about school, images of trash cans filled to the brim with dirty tissues and plus the kids who have viruses (one threw up right in front of me this year and it took every fiber in me to hold it together) remind me that it might not be a good idea. That being said, if I were in your particular situation, I would probably attempt it. Can you request to go in for 30-minutes on a day before you return to work as a test run? I would probably do that before committing to the entire 3 hours/3 days a week deal. Good luck in whatever you decide. Also, @jlgasper‌ my LO will be in daycare and he will not be raised by the daycare providers. I don't really understand the nature of your job but it sounds like you have a real chip on your shoulder. I never worked at a boarding school, but I have been a nanny, camp counselor, and teacher at several different grade levels so I have spent plenty of time with kids while their parents are working and I would never even think of myself as their primary care provider for a moment. I don't really know where you are coming from since the bond of parent/child is nowhere close to the bond we could ever have with students or children we just care for.