please weight in on this argument with my sister and I

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call BS because most daycares don’t take babies under 12 weeks.

Also please acquaint yourself with normal, professional norms of working from home. Most employers require workers to have childcare because the worker is . . . Working. I also “sit at a computer all day” but I have a demanding job and am in meetings and there is no way I could pop up and attend to a baby any time they cried.

Doesn’t a baby deserve an attentive caregiver, not a distracted adult trying to work?

Agree. I call troll.

Nice try!

[Anonymous]

Are you stupid? You can't work a real job and take care of a newborn at the same time. WTF!

[Anonymous]

Are you offering to replace your niece's salary with a monthly donation? That's really sweet of you! She still might want to work, though.

[Anonymous]

No one in the DC area is going to agree with you. Maybe there's a church community out there in the mountains of West Virginia that may.

[Anonymous]

Put the topic in the post title.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one in the DC area is going to agree with you. Maybe there's a church community out there in the mountains of West Virginia that may.

I am a working mom with a PhD living in Bethesda and I agree with OP. That baby should absolutely not be in daycare. The baby probably sleeps a lot so it WOH for a few months is probably doable with the baby there. It depends on the job, obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my sisters daughter had a baby (previous) she was a preemie and at 2 months she's only about 9 lbs she's like a little doll.

niece works from home, has a very easy job as she's on her computer all day. she is actually taking this tiny 9lb baby to daycare so she can sit home and work. I am totally dumbfounded and expressed this, at which point we got in a. huge argument. My parents also weighed in and were equally upset.

Now if she worked outside the homeland had to work I could understand though I would still be sad that she's so tiny going to a daycare. But she's working from home!!! Curious if you agree?

You aren't allowed to have an opinion about it, let alone share that opinion.

Wow.

[Anonymous]

On my team, I expect you to be able to work during working hours. That may mean that all of a sudden a presentation needs to be created, data needs to be analyzed, or you're needed on a call. I do not expect to hear a baby crying in the background or for work not to be completed because non work activities were taking priority.

As a mom, how could you focus on creating a presentation or analyzing data if your baby is crying that she's cold, wet, hungy, etc. You can't. Soothing a baby is not like changing the laundry. With the laundry, it's 2 min to remove stuff from the washer and stick in the dryer; shut the door, turn it on, and walk away. You don't give an 8 week old a bottle and walk away. You hold the baby until they finish and then burb and possibly change the baby. You rock the baby until she falls back asleep. If you're breast feeding you still have to hold the baby while she nurses; maybe your hands are free but I don't think I could do analytics and nurse a baby at the same time.

So no OP---you are wrong. Your niece is doing what she has to for her family. If daycare is so egregious to you, step up and offer to care for the infant.

[Anonymous]

I'd rather not put a baby that young/small in daycare, but it's not realistic to think she can WFH full time and care for a baby simultaneously. If you're that concerned, send money or babysit yourself.

[Anonymous]

I call troll. There’s one poster who starts these types of threads with a particular writing style.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call BS because most daycares don’t take babies under 12 weeks.

Also please acquaint yourself with normal, professional norms of working from home. Most employers require workers to have childcare because the worker is . . . Working. I also “sit at a computer all day” but I have a demanding job and am in meetings and there is no way I could pop up and attend to a baby any time they cried.

Doesn’t a baby deserve an attentive caregiver, not a distracted adult trying to work?

They absolutely take younger babies (most of them do). Most moms only get 6 weeks leave once you leave your corporate bubble.

[Anonymous]

I work from home on a computer all day. My work is really stressful and complex. If I had a newborn I wouldn't be able to take care of it and work at the same time. I wouldn't be able to stop to change a diaper and wash my hands, to rock a baby, feed, burp, bounce, walk, etc. I need to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call BS because most daycares don’t take babies under 12 weeks.

Also please acquaint yourself with normal, professional norms of working from home. Most employers require workers to have childcare because the worker is . . . Working. I also “sit at a computer all day” but I have a demanding job and am in meetings and there is no way I could pop up and attend to a baby any time they cried.

Doesn’t a baby deserve an attentive caregiver, not a distracted adult trying to work?

Plenty of daycares take babies from 6 weeks. Many places only give 6 weeks maternity leave for vaginal births.

[Anonymous]

MYOB. I'm sure your niece and her DH made the best decision for their family. You and your mother don't get to opine. You are, though, welcome to supplement her income so your niece or her DH can stay home. Or, you and your mother can provide childcare yourself.

[Anonymous]

Many remote workplaces do NOT allow you to WFH with a baby. You are clearly not going to be focused on work if you are caring for a child.

If you are so worried, have you offered to take over childcare for her?