How unprofessional was this?

[Anonymous]

People who are outraged that OP doesn't have a place to leave/ strap an unattended 2 year old for an hour are absolutely bonkers. Either you've never had a kid, your kids are so old you don't remember what it's like, or you made some questionable decisions over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two years into this thing you should have a few last-minute sitters on speed-dial, a neighbor/friend nearby who might be able to pitch-in, and a safe space for the baby. Absolutely unprofessional - you're not the only one with kids - we've all made adaptations with difficult kids - you just chose to not plan for the worst case scenario for whatever bizarre reason. The defensiveness and snowflake attitude is also off-putting. People like you need to be put back into the office because you're just abusing the flexibilities at this point and ruining it for those of us with real back up plans.

Didn't she say her child had to stay home from daycare because of a possible exposure? You'd ask someone to babysit a child who is quarantining? Wouldn't the babysitter then be at risk? I think she did the right thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two years into this thing you should have a few last-minute sitters on speed-dial, a neighbor/friend nearby who might be able to pitch-in, and a safe space for the baby. Absolutely unprofessional - you're not the only one with kids - we've all made adaptations with difficult kids - you just chose to not plan for the worst case scenario for whatever bizarre reason. The defensiveness and snowflake attitude is also off-putting. People like you need to be put back into the office because you're just abusing the flexibilities at this point and ruining it for those of us with real back up plans.

You're being cruel because you see an opportunity to be cruel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two years into this thing you should have a few last-minute sitters on speed-dial, a neighbor/friend nearby who might be able to pitch-in, and a safe space for the baby. Absolutely unprofessional - you're not the only one with kids - we've all made adaptations with difficult kids - you just chose to not plan for the worst case scenario for whatever bizarre reason. The defensiveness and snowflake attitude is also off-putting. People like you need to be put back into the office because you're just abusing the flexibilities at this point and ruining it for those of us with real back up plans.

It's amazing to me that two years in some people aren't reflexively offering others some grace.

"Hi Babysitter. Larla had a COVID exposure and I need to work. Would you mind coming over and risking it for $16/ hour?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two years into this thing you should have a few last-minute sitters on speed-dial, a neighbor/friend nearby who might be able to pitch-in, and a safe space for the baby. Absolutely unprofessional - you're not the only one with kids - we've all made adaptations with difficult kids - you just chose to not plan for the worst case scenario for whatever bizarre reason. The defensiveness and snowflake attitude is also off-putting. People like you need to be put back into the office because you're just abusing the flexibilities at this point and ruining it for those of us with real back up plans.

I am not sure how being in the office changes anything for the OP. If there is no WAH and office only then the meeting wouldnt have happened. What non-working friends do YOU have? I dont have any. We are all working families. Last-minute day-time sitters- what are you smoking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two years into this thing you should have a few last-minute sitters on speed-dial, a neighbor/friend nearby who might be able to pitch-in, and a safe space for the baby. Absolutely unprofessional - you're not the only one with kids - we've all made adaptations with difficult kids - you just chose to not plan for the worst case scenario for whatever bizarre reason. The defensiveness and snowflake attitude is also off-putting. People like you need to be put back into the office because you're just abusing the flexibilities at this point and ruining it for those of us with real back up plans.

It's amazing to me that two years in some people aren't reflexively offering others some grace.

"Hi Babysitter. Larla had a COVID exposure and I need to work. Would you mind coming over and risking it for $16/ hour?"

WHAT babysitter? You assume a lot. Some of us dont have babyistters to begin with much less ones that are available at the drop of a hat and arent in school or have other FT positions- like who are these people just sitting around waiting for you to call? College students- they have classes. HS students- they are in school. Teachers who do it on the weekends- they are teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two years into this thing you should have a few last-minute sitters on speed-dial, a neighbor/friend nearby who might be able to pitch-in, and a safe space for the baby. Absolutely unprofessional - you're not the only one with kids - we've all made adaptations with difficult kids - you just chose to not plan for the worst case scenario for whatever bizarre reason. The defensiveness and snowflake attitude is also off-putting. People like you need to be put back into the office because you're just abusing the flexibilities at this point and ruining it for those of us with real back up plans.

It's amazing to me that two years in some people aren't reflexively offering others some grace.

"Hi Babysitter. Larla had a COVID exposure and I need to work. Would you mind coming over and risking it for $16/ hour?"

WHAT babysitter? You assume a lot. Some of us dont have babyistters to begin with much less ones that are available at the drop of a hat and arent in school or have other FT positions- like who are these people just sitting around waiting for you to call? College students- they have classes. HS students- they are in school. Teachers who do it on the weekends- they are teaching.

Exactly. I have a babysitter who is great, but she also has a 2nd job as an EMT, so she has shifts she has to show up for and she's not going to risk getting COVID from my kid because then she can't go to her other job. All the other people I know who would be available are elderly or they are so burned out with their own kids and work that no amount of money is worth hanging out with COVID kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you give them a heads up that your toddler would be joining your call? The second you realized he wouldn't be in daycare you should have let them know. Then if they cared, they would have rescheduled. If they knew and didn't care....well they gambled with the kid being a disruption. If you didn't let them know ahead of time, that's poor form and highly unprofessional

This is my take. I'm completely sympathetic, but in these situations it's important to give a heads up... that way it can be determined if
1. Reschedule meeting
2. Do meeting without you
3. Do meeting with you, but with understanding you might have to leave

+1 It was pretty unprofessional. It sounds like you ended up wasting two people's time and the meeting needs to be rescheduled anyway. The issue isn't that your child is home sick. It's how you handled it (or didn't).

[Anonymous]

I find that coworkers have no issues with cats walking on desks, dog barking.

Women especially should not be made to feel bad or shamed and made to believe that they are not doing enough or not trying hard enough because an almost 2 year old, home on quarantine, made an appearance on a work call.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's unprofessional. It's just life. Delivery folks ring doorbells, dogs bark, kids get sick, construction happens.
If the boss's boss has an issue, it's more about them. Expecting a perfect environment now - or really ever - is ridiculous.

My husband is a DAS in the administration and a woman was messaging him profusely apologizing for having a sick kid on their call. So he started shaking around one of our kids' toys to get the kids' attention when mom was trying to speak to the group. Husband was the highest ranking person on the call.

This is the energy we need to have right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who are outraged that OP doesn't have a place to leave/ strap an unattended 2 year old for an hour are absolutely bonkers. Either you've never had a kid, your kids are so old you don't remember what it's like, or you made some questionable decisions over the years.

+1!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's unprofessional. It's just life. Delivery folks ring doorbells, dogs bark, kids get sick, construction happens.
If the boss's boss has an issue, it's more about them. Expecting a perfect environment now - or really ever - is ridiculous.

My husband is a DAS in the administration and a woman was messaging him profusely apologizing for having a sick kid on their call. So he started shaking around one of our kids' toys to get the kids' attention when mom was trying to speak to the group. Husband was the highest ranking person on the call.

This is the energy we need to have right now.

This...this is the right answer. OP...I wouldn't give it another thought. You were in an impossible situation and did the best you could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clearly you just want to complain and make excuses.

This is very cringe behavior. This pandemic has been going on this child's entire life - surely you have had time to come up with backup plans? If you have truly no child-safe space to put your kid in this type of situation, you only have yourself to blame.

Not the OP, but this comment is just cringe behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly you just want to complain and make excuses.

This is very cringe behavior. This pandemic has been going on this child's entire life - surely you have had time to come up with backup plans? If you have truly no child-safe space to put your kid in this type of situation, you only have yourself to blame.

Not the OP, but this comment is just cringe behavior.

But, seriously, if you haven't invested in a soundproof child dungeon at this point, can you even call yourself a professional?

[Anonymous]

I think most parents would sympathize with your situation. Which means no one who's rational would fault you for canceling the meeting. But if I had to sit there waiting for the tantrum to pass and wondering why we were even carrying on the meeting, I'd be annoyed at the waste of MY time.

Yeah, this is where I come out as well. I would totally understand if someone had to cancel or reschedule a meeting due to unexpected childcare issues. But I would expect the person to cancel, rather than wasting the time that I scheduled for the call listening to a tantrum.