Anonymous wrote:As a childless 32 year old, I like it. It's a little out of the ordinary, like as if a giraffe or an elephant walked through your office. BUT when the children are allowed to run all over, including into MY office, and I am expected to entertain them, nope. nope nope nope.

+1
The analogy is so apt! It's ok once in a while, but if the office was overrun with giraffes (as fantastic as they are), well, that would be a problem.
And how the kids behave/how the parent manages the situation is key. Kids hanging quietly in an unused office or room and making a brief appearance--ok. Kids making a ruckus or mess or distracting everybody--not so much.

Anonymous wrote:I hate when my coworkers do this. I think it's rude and unprofressional.

+1

It's fine at our office for those that have offices. Probably not for the cube workers, as they're really tiny--no room. Maybe in an unused conf room?

I don't like it when people bring sick kids. Too sick for school? What makes you think I want the germs at the office?

I could never bring my kids into work with me. Everyone has cubes and my kids are too young to entertain themselves and would get too wild for it to be appropriate and pleasant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a school district different from the one where my DD goes. I bring her 1-3 days a year and nobody cares. But she is 6 and can blend in.

Your district allows this?

My principal does. He brings his baby occasionally and other teachers bring their kids sometimes if they do to school in a different county. Some teacher work days are "family days" where you can bring your kids and well behaved dogs too!

Anonymous wrote:Where is this happening? In six years at my law firm, I have never seen this. Have to say, I wish I had. I'd love to see some kids at work once in a while!

Clearly you don't work at either my firm or DH's firm then, or you didn't notice because the office door was closed.

I brought my DD to work a few times, back when I had an office. There was never a problem, except when I had a meeting....But one of my coworkers offered to keep an eye on her....Coworker was a grandmotherly type.

Now, unfortunately, I work in a classified environment in a cube farm.

My dad and mom used to bring us to work with them back in the 90s during summer school break sometimes and it never seemed to be a problem. I loved going to work with them and seeing what they did.

I don't have kids but some coworkers bring theirs on snow days (very rarely though). The kids have all been polite and nice reaing books and drawing in their parents offices. We're a smaller white collar company, most everyone has offices where they can close the door. I don't mind at all. I have coworkers that can be loud and yelling all day so ill take polite and quiet kids anyway over them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must be old school, because my feeling is that, especially in a large company, this is something that Just Isn't Done, especially by white-collar workers.

I grew up going to work with my white collar dad at a big company on teacher work days. From about age 8 on (after my mom went back to work) I would hang in his office and read all day, or later I would check out this new thing called the internet. I learned how to answer phones appropriately and file and do other office work. But then, my dad was strict as he'll and if we had acted up there would have been hell to pay when we got home.

My dad worked for a fortune 100 company, and I went to work with him a few times in the late '70s early, '80s. I hung out on the couch in his office and read, colored, etc. His co-workers brought pieces of candy by. I'm sure this was an "emergency" in my parents eyes, as this was not a normal routine, but it was not a big deal. I have brought my kids to my office on occassion as well.

One thing that is different now. I have my own office now, but I have also worked in cubicle farms, and it would be extremely difficult to bring my kids in. My husband is a gov't contractor, and a high level manager, and still works in a cube. He's never brought our kids in. If he needs to stay home with them, he takes the day off.

My co-workers will bring their kids in on occassion, and I enjoy seeing them in the office. As long as they are well-behaved, I don't see what the big deal is.