Strollerderby : babies at work

News Anchor Interviews Senator Webb While Holding Baby

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Maybe you can help me puzzle out this video. On Morning Joe yesterday, co-host Mika Brzezinski interviewed Senator Jim Webb while she was holding an adorable baby. At first, I assumed the baby was Mika's--perhaps her babysitter canceled--and I thought it was sort of cool to see the complications of family life so unabashedly portrayed on the news.

Or maybe Mika was going to talk to Senator Webb about the new children's health care bill, and she wanted a live demonstration of its impact. But it turns out the baby belongs to a coworker, and Mika just felt like holding him throughout the interview.

The male anchors ask Senator Webb the real questions, while Mika makes some cute jokes about the baby, gets lipstick all over his forehead, and speaks to him in baby talk. So instead of enforcing the idea that babies and high-profile careers can go hand-in-hand, MSNBC only succeeded in showing how much all women love babies—and don’t really want to talk about that boring political stuff!

Unfortunately, MSNBC won't let me post the video directly to this page, but you can watch it here.

Photo: newcityvegas.com

Step Off, Yo! Hands Off My Kid!

Karen Murphy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:35:00 GMT

The first time I took my son to the mall, I was petrified: people might touch him/breathe on him/look at him! There he was in his stroller, powerless to stare people down or spit up on them or otherwise convince them to keep their distance. He only had me for protection. And I am a complete doormat.

"Er, touch the baby? Okayyy..." I'd mutter while inwardly writhing at the thought of possible dirty germ-laden hands touching my preshuss baybee.

So I totally could have used one of these My Tiny Hands get-your-hands-off-my-kids signs. Er, uh, maybe.

After all, I'm one of those who cringe at the thought of asking a doctor/nurse/medical professional to wash hands before touching me or my preshuss baybee, so would I feel any more comfortable posting a big pink sign above my baybee's head to ask people to do just that? It's easier than having to say it out loud. While you read it I will just awkwardly look away, okay?

I'm a little more forthcoming and protective (some would insert "over-") of my baybees now (plus I used a Bjorn/sling with subsequent babies, making errant touching more difficult), but I'm at once strangely attracted to and completely repelled by the thought of posting a sign to people to keep their damn hands off my kid. But could I have had one of those taped over my pregnant belly?

Yay or nay on the signage: Too much? Good for us doormats? Why are we worrying about a few germs? What?

Eye-Roll-Inducing "Parenting Trends"

Amy Kuras — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:03:00 GMT

One of the first unofficial lessons of Journalism 101: if it happens three times, it's a trend. Or, if it happens to you and at least one of your friends, it's a trend.

So I tend to view stories like this one from Parents.Com about the top 10 parenting trends for 2008 with great skepticism, to say the least. And if you're a regular reader of Strollerderby (and you should be) none of these are news to you. I'll list them anyway, to spare you the nine zillion irritating ads that cover the screen when you're trying to go through the article.

"Creative" baby names. "Semaj" from James? Seriously, people? Just, no. Bill already riffed on this funnier than I can ("silent q" indeed).
Toy safety. Suddenly everyone wants their toys made in the USA. Good luck with that!
Working mothers bringing babies to the workplace. Again, please no. I already aired my feelings about this in a comment on Other Amy's post on the topic – and apparently am in the minority, in a big way.
Sophisicated nurseries. Can't argue with this one, anything I say would solely be out of raw, naked envy for people with money and taste enough to pull these off.
Famiies traveling together more — groups of friends going on vacation, so each set of parents can trade off kid-watching and grownup time. Again, this sounds genius.
Holding baby showers for 2nd and 3rd kids. H to the ELL to the NO. One baby shower and one wedding shower per person per lifetime. End of story. Anything else that's a gifting party, outside of really unusual circumstances, is greedy. Although looking at the comments on this post by Kelly, I totally want a blessingway now
Personalized baby web sites. No problem with these, but our set of faraway grandparents are my in-laws, who are in their 70s. And refer to emails as "letters." So, yeah, not sure how well that would work for us.
Birthday parties with physical activity themes. Don’t they all devolve into malestroms of screamy, running kids, themes or no?
More sentimental push presents for mothers. Rachael already ever-so-eloquently expounded on this.

Discipline — saying no to spoiled kids. This is a trend? A new trend? The hell? What is wrong with us?

I've never been especially trendy. Articles like this one make me glad.

Photo: Time

Baby Exploitation and Election 2008

Madeline Holler — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:28:00 GMT

It's parenting that borders on questionable. It's the kind of thing you do with your kid where you're just asking for trouble. It's shallow, it's risky, it's exploitation of your own flesh and blood. And I love it!

A freelance writer and filmmaker from New Hampshire took his itty-bitty daughter all around the Granite State during the heyday of primary election campaigning. He had one goal in mind: getting baby Dahlia photographed with each of the presidential candidates (except Mike Gravel, who he says freaks him out. Understood.)

The result is a fantastic slideshow, which, just between us parents, is rather telling about those presidential hopefuls whose arms he managed to drop his (sometimes wet) daughter into. Without even passing around the Purell! (In October, November and December? Is he insane?!)

Oh, plus a bonus pic of Dahlia with Chuck Norris, who looks very at ease with the little gal. I'll never watch "Walker, Texas Ranger" with enthusiasm again. (Wait, I have never seen the show.)

Political Nanny gives a full analysis, examining the various baby holding techniques, "Black Power" kidwear and a curious leg-gripping trend among the menfolk.

Photo: Slate.com

Is Workplace Parenting The Wave Of The Future?

Amy S.F. Lutz — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:32:00 GMT

It's been a while since I worked in an office. It hasn't been long at all, however, since I've had young babies around (call it 'ongoing'). And based on my experience trying to write and think with those babies crawling all over me, I find it hard to believe that infants in the workplace wouldn't be . . . distracting, to say the least.

But Carla Moquin doesn't agree. As founder of the Parenting in the Workplace Institute, she's compiled a database of over 70 companies that permit employees to bring babies to work, and she suspects many more allow it even if it's not officially recognized. Although there are obviously some professions less baby-friendly than others (i.e., doctors or teachers), a 2005 study found that babies have virtually no effect on productivity. In fact, babies can actually vitalize the work environment and lead to higher morale among co-workers.

I'm still having a tough time imagining how my kids, none of whom would spend more than ten minutes in the exersaucer, would have fared in an office. Maybe this arrangement works best with those mythical babies I've heard of but never actually encountered - the ones that spend hours contemplating life from the confines of their infant car seats, or sleeping in papooses strapped to their mothers' backs. After all, it worked for Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius, who took both her sons to work when they were babies. Now over 20 state agencies in Kansas allow workplace parenting. And as we all know, where goes Kansas, so goes the rest of the country.