How unprofessional was this?

[Anonymous]

I had a zoom meeting today with my boss' boss - so our director and a consultant. Of course today is the day that my youngest (2 years old) is home due to a possible COVID exposure and couldn't go to daycare. DH was also on an important 4 hour work call and couldn't help during my call. So I took the call with son in lap and tried to pay attention and also distract said kid during the 30 minute call. Of course DS ended up having a screaming fit in the middle (that I put on mute) and I had to go take care of. On a scale of 1 to 10 how unprofessional is this? There was literally nothing else I could do. Meeting was scheduled a few weeks out and director is super busy so trying to re-schedule would have been a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Eh, I wouldn't beat yourself up over it if it's a one off -- and if the meeting goals were met. Sounds like it was not an external client call, which would be a far bigger issue.

I do think it reads as unprofessional, though I sympathize greatly.

[Anonymous]

Short of having DH reschedule his call or finding a last-minute sitter who is ok with possible COVID exposure, there's nothing else you can do. This is the reality that many of us working parents with kids in daycare are facing right now. I suppose you could have tried to put your child in another room where they are safe so that you could take the call uninterrupted, but I know that would have been impossible with my kid when she was 2. There's no sense in dwelling on this because it's done.

Did you explain at the top of the meeting that you are dealing with an unexpected daycare quarantine today? Either way, it can't hurt to email your boss, acknowledge that the meeting didn't go as smoothly as you'd wanted due to the daycare issue, and offer to discuss it further/schedule another meeting at a time that's convenient for them.

[Anonymous]

I feel your pain, but very unprofessional. (I have a 6month old, 3 year old and 5 year old)

Typically what I do is work super hard to occupy them while my meeting goes on. Ipad, snacks, candy (if needed!), nap time and I lock myself in a different room.

[Anonymous]

Really unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel your pain, but very unprofessional. (I have a 6month old, 3 year old and 5 year old)

Typically what I do is work super hard to occupy them while my meeting goes on. Ipad, snacks, candy (if needed!), nap time and I lock myself in a different room.

OP here - there is absolutely no way I could do any of the items listed above. It was an 11am meeting so nap was out. DS is not even 2 yet (turns 2 in like 2 weeks) and won't watch a movie or TV to save my life. Candy would distract him for about 5 seconds while he wolfs it down. If I left him unsupervised he would probably kill himself or severely injury himself. Not exaggerating. I have never had a kid who got into things this much and I have 3 of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Short of having DH reschedule his call or finding a last-minute sitter who is ok with possible COVID exposure, there's nothing else you can do. This is the reality that many of us working parents with kids in daycare are facing right now. I suppose you could have tried to put your child in another room where they are safe so that you could take the call uninterrupted, but I know that would have been impossible with my kid when she was 2. There's no sense in dwelling on this because it's done.

Did you explain at the top of the meeting that you are dealing with an unexpected daycare quarantine today? Either way, it can't hurt to email your boss, acknowledge that the meeting didn't go as smoothly as you'd wanted due to the daycare issue, and offer to discuss it further/schedule another meeting at a time that's convenient for them.

OP here - DH couldn't reschedule his call. It was a client facing call getting ready for a hearing. He is an attorney.

[Anonymous]

You did your best. This is a different world we are living in. This is not slacking off, this is being more than just a working drone. If they have a problem with what happened this is a good time to look for a new job.

[Anonymous]

OP here - it is just so demoralizing that we are still doing this. DS has no symptoms and was negative on a rapid test but of course we have to wait and do a PCR and quarantine because he isn't vaccinated yet. I work from home and so does my husband so that isn't a problem but DS is so young and mischevious that we can't leave him unattended for a second. Older kids are easier to deal with during a meeting - give them a ipad and a snack and they are fine.

[Anonymous]

It’s not great but it’s done now. In my org, you would be given grace assuming you are well-respected and everyone knows this is a shitty time. But if your org is not family friendly and you are generally a flake, not good.

[Anonymous]

This is the world we live in now. As a director I would tell you there are priorities and you need to tend to your child. I don’t view it as professional or unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

Were you off camera? Better to be off camera than have a baby in your lap

[Anonymous]

Strap him into the high chair and give a bowl of ice cream
-

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel your pain, but very unprofessional. (I have a 6month old, 3 year old and 5 year old)

Typically what I do is work super hard to occupy them while my meeting goes on. Ipad, snacks, candy (if needed!), nap time and I lock myself in a different room.

OP here - there is absolutely no way I could do any of the items listed above. It was an 11am meeting so nap was out. DS is not even 2 yet (turns 2 in like 2 weeks) and won't watch a movie or TV to save my life. Candy would distract him for about 5 seconds while he wolfs it down. If I left him unsupervised he would probably kill himself or severely injury himself. Not exaggerating. I have never had a kid who got into things this much and I have 3 of them.

Next time put him in a pack n play with some safe toys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Were you off camera? Better to be off camera than have a baby in your lap

Op here - yes on camera. They were both in camera so figured it was proper etiquette to be on camera as well. Plus we always do camera on for zoom calls.