(Untitled)

[plumerai]

You are a parent of a three-year-old, no other children. Your partner in parenting is out of town visiting family. The emergency daycare is full. There is a lot of work to do. You are the department head, of a two-person department. You work in an open-office arrangement (no private office, many coworkers a few feet away). ETA: The babysitter

Comments

[agent_mph]

i'd just work from home, if possible.

[plumerai]

Good point--I edited to say that's not an option. (Though it could've been if she'd known beforehand that the sitter wouldn't be available.)

[sarah_raz]

Why emergency daycare? Didn't they know ahead of time that they wuld need childcare on that day if the partner would be out of town?

Anyway, I say stay home with the kid. The kid comes first.

[plumerai]

Oops, I forgot that part--the babysitter called in sick. There's no good choice here, I'm just curious (and I admit I'm hoping that parents answer, though given how many debates many have gotten into on the matter, I wouldn't blame the parents on my flist for staying away!).

[social_deixis]

Dilemmas like this one are what got the Mr. a written reprimand last month. Neither choice is a good one, and no matter which choice one makes, someone ends up cranky.

[plumerai]

Exactly--nobody wins (including the kid). I was thinking of the Mr.'s reprimand when I put up the poll, actually--I'm hoping to hear from parents on this one. I don't necessarily think she should've stayed home, but it's really distracting to everyone here to have a three-year-old shrieking. And my industry is female-dominated and pretty family-friendly in certain senses (certainly no reprimands would be written either way, I don't think)--I can't imagine what it would be like in a less understanding environment.

[coopers_mom]

Neither choice is a good one, and no matter which choice one makes, someone ends up cranky. totally...

I also don't think it is fair to do to a 3 year old, who doesn't have total control over their emotions, level of voice, boredom levels, etc. To expect them to behave in an open office environment is unrealistic - if it was a private office that had things to keep them busy and someone to keep an eye on them, that is different (though still not a great option)...but given these particular circumstances, I don't think bringing the kid to work was a good idea.

[coopers_mom]

I absolutely would have stayed at home....cringing and freaking out all the while about the work that wasn't being done and feeling guilty at having my co-workers pick up in my absense, but knowing that work-overflow shit happens so co-workers cover for each other, but my co-workers are NOT responsible for my child-care emergencies.

I would also a) try to work from home as much as possible, even if it meant my child watched a video or two during the day (even though we are normally a tv-free house except for one video at bedtime) or b) try to find a friend, family member or anyone who could meet me at my office and take the kid for an hour or two to a park while I at least got a bit of work done.

There is no win in this situation, certainly, but opting to take the child to work would not even REGISTER on my radar.

[coopers_mom]

clarifying: in point B) that would mean that my child was not staying at my office, but would allow me to get into the office for an hour or two, then leave again once the pinch-hitter was off duty.

[peterbilt_47]

I think your child comes first. Coworkers should understand the situation; the reason we all work is (ostensibly) to provide a good life for ourselves, after all. If that's not happening, work has defeated its purpose.

Like coopers' said, I don't expect a three-year old would enjoy being in an office full of people trying to get work done anyway, no matter how child-friendly they are.

Oh, and how do they do it in Sweden? (where they do everything better than we do)