Strollerderby : kids 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

Take Your Kid to Work, But Don't Let them Take Control of a City Train

JeanneSager — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:08:00 GMT

There's take your kid to work day, then there's put half a city at risk day. A trolley driver in Boston has been reprimanded by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority for letting his son and nephew get behind the wheel.

A pissed off passenger (wouldn't you be?) took pictures of the man and two kids and posted them on Craigslist. Michael Critz listed what trolley the picture was taken on, the date and time, and posted a link back to his own Website.

Critz expresses sympathy for a dad having to work on a holiday weekend and admits we all make mistakes. He worried what would happen to himself - it's illegal to take photos on MBTA, a rule enacted after 9/11 - but Critz said he decided it was more important to protect others. Beyond the distractions the two boys could potentially be to a driver who needs to keep his attention on the tracks at all times, Critz said the kids were dangerously close to the main controls of the trolley. That includes the emergency stop button (the big red button in Critz's photo, above).

The MBTA told the Boston Herald that the 45-year-old driver has been disciplined before. He was suspended for three days last year for using a cell phone while operating the train.

As a mom, I know what it's like to have to suddenly take my daughter to work because the babysitter called out. I'm lucky that my job has allowed me to take my daughter with me a large percentage of the time, and allowed me to work from home when there was simply no other option. But before heading out to interview someone at their house or even in their office, I always warn people she's coming. I also find a sitter or call on a friend when I'm heading somewhere that she just shouldn't be. And I'm not putting hundreds (or potentially thousands) of people's lives at risk. I don't drive a train. But I'd like to think I could trust the people who do - with my life and the life of my own kid.

Sometimes we feel like our bosses just don't understand what it's like to be a parent, and sometimes we're right. MomsRising, an advocacy group for working moms, estimates 100 million American workers don't have paid sick days so they can take the day off to care for a child. Based on a Children's Defense Fund Study, MomsRising says even parents who have the sick days don't necessarily have enough money to pay a daycare when their child is well. The study found childcare costs anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 a year.

But work is still work. Unless your boss has said, "Oh yeah, bring 'em along," kids don't belong in the workplace.

Image: Michael Critz

Today is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.. How's Your Head?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:36:00 GMT

What's next?!! Bring your emotional baggage and Daddy issues to work day?? Come on! The Ms. Foundation had no idea what it was starting back in '93 when they sponsored the first "Bring Our Daughters to Work Day," which morphed into "Bring Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day," and now is "Convince Your Co-Workers to Use Birth Control Carefully Day."

Let's face it. Kids have no place at work. Besides the little buggers need a day at the park more than a day at the office.

At least that's what Helaine Olen thinks, and I think she's spot on. In an age of Blackberry parenting, the office really isn't as filled with mystique as it once was, particularly since it's often likely to be in the downstairs rec room.

What seems far more in keeping with the times is we all learn to relax and take it easy. For a whole day.