BarbecueMom Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 My mother has asked me to bring my two kids to her workplace sometime in the next week so she can "show off" her grandkids and take us out to lunch. I don't mind going out to lunch, but I have a problem with taking my kids to her place of employment. She works in a warehouse office, which means everything from tiny paper clips to forklifts. They distribute fixtures to retail stores, which means there are truck drivers in and out of the building, stairs and shipping docks, packing machines, and lots of fun looking stuff that's dangerous to a toddler. Not that I'm going to let them run around and play with stuff, but I can't carry 55 lbs. of squirmy toddler by myself, and my mom would probably let the 2-year-old shrink wrap himself for the photo opportunity. :glare: Even more, I don't think it's appropriate to bring a very small child into a busy professional setting, unless there's a suitable area to meet up (like a cafeteria or something). I did bring DS #1 into her office briefly about 1.5 years ago, when they were located in a downtown building and not in a warehouse. She went around showing off the baby, and most people gave that small smile that said, "Hi, but I'm too busy for this." To my mom, that smile actually means, "This is the most amazing baby in the world, can you bring him in every day?!" She tells me everyone can't wait to see the kids again, but honestly I don't think her coworkers want to be interrupted by the Grandchild Roadshow. They didn't seem interested at all last time (don't blame them, I wouldn't care either), and most of them have their own kids and grandkids to dote on. Is it actually okay to bring little kids into a workplace, just to show them off? I'm not talking about older, school-aged kids on field trips or job shadowing and stuff like "Take Your Kids to Work Day". I'm talking babies, toddlers, or preschoolers. It's hard to tell, because we have other battles over boundaries, and I'm not sure if I'm in the right or just projecting my frustrations over other incidents onto this situation. My FIL would never invite us to his workplace. DH wouldn't want me to bring the kids to his work to show off. Do people really do this and I'm completely off base? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwenhwyfar Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 i think it really depends on the people & the work environment... if it's not a safe place for kids to be, then it isn't really a great idea eh? (or if people aren't receptive to it) ... on the other hand, everyone at dh's former job loved seeing the kids come in for a visit - they never went home without treats. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Ime, lots of grandmothers do :p I've been on both ends of it. The coworker who grins and patronizes while trying to keep working, and the humiliated mother who's following her own mother around with my best "I'm so sorry" look on my face. One thing I've learned... It's hard to like the mother with the mopey look on her face, but it's really easy to smile for the gramma crowing over her darlings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 A quick visit to dh at work is not a problem. I can imagine some offices where visits could be. I would think that you mom would know if she would be called to the carpet for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I've been taking the girls to dh's office since they were babies and its a rather professional office. Many of his coworkers do as well but his company is very family oriented. We used to go to my mom's office a lot when we were growing up too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 I've been taking the girls to dh's office since they were babies and its a rather professional office. Many of his coworkers do as well but his company is very family oriented. We used to go to my mom's office a lot when we were growing up too. DH works in a secure facility, so it's not even an option there. I used to go to my grandfather's workplace a lot as a child, but I was older (6 or 7?) when that started. I would think that you mom would know if she would be called to the carpet for it. That's the problem, she wouldn't. Ime, lots of grandmothers do :p I've been on both ends of it. The coworker who grins and patronizes while trying to keep working, and the humiliated mother who's following her own mother around with my best "I'm so sorry" look on my face. One thing I've learned... It's hard to like the mother with the mopey look on her face, but it's really easy to smile for the gramma crowing over her darlings. Hehe, yep. That's pretty much how it goes. It's hard to not be "mopey" when I'm constantly grabbing little hands out of things. My mom would find it cute if they started jamming printers or something, so I have to be the bad guy in front of complete (and irritated) strangers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 i think it really depends on the people & the work environment... if it's not a safe place for kids to be, then it isn't really a great idea eh? (or if people aren't receptive to it) ... on the other hand, everyone at dh's former job loved seeing the kids come in for a visit - they never went home without treats. ;) :iagree:Where I work, we are thrilled to see each other's children, even it if is just "hi". However, I'd trust your mommy instincts for this particular situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Hehe, yep. That's pretty much how it goes. It's hard to not be "mopey" when I'm constantly grabbing little hands out of things. My mom would find it cute if they started jamming printers or something, so I have to be the bad guy in front of complete (and irritated) strangers. My sweet sil took Mom to her MRI appointment. They were standing behind the wall shield thing (sil and my super adorable neice). Halfway through the MRI the machine shut down. Just poof stopped working. Darling little saw a switch on the wall about as high off the ground as the door knob and flipped it. Turns out it was the power switch for the MRI machine. Mom thought it was HILARIOUS. She laughed till she cried, she proclaimed my neice to be a future radiology technician. The techs thought it was a funny and told sil not to worry about it, but sil ended up calling me from the bathroom stalls sobbing, she was so embarrassed. The rest of the day at the hospital, from doctor to doctor, my mother is sharing that story like it's the greatest story ever told, sil is ready to drop dread from humiliation, and everyone who hears the story is laughing to beat the band. The moral of the story? When kids do stuff like that... it can be pretty funny. Sil did not need to feel like the worst mother in the galaxy, she could have relaxed and enjoyed the chuckle (once she knew she would have to repair the MRI machine). Accidents happen, laugh, learn and move on. All the same, if it had been me......... I'd probably gone to hide er um wait in the car until all Mom's appointments were done :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 If it's a quick visit, I don't think it's a problem. I look at it as one of those "grandparent" things. My parents and ILs do so much for my kids that if they want to show them off to their co-workers for 10 minutes, I feel that is a small price to make them happy. My mom has done this at her work (granted it's a high school, so it's a much safer working environment than a warehouse) and the look on her face was so worth it! If it makes your mom happy, I'd suffer through the few minutes it will take. If it starts to get obnoxious you can say, "Hey Mom, the kids are getting restless. I think they're hungry. Let's head out." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Strollers ;) If you do it... buckle them in... take candy to eat (for Quiet's sake) and try to smile :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 My MIL likes to take the kids to show them off. She's got pics on her desk, isn't that enough? (I never took my children to work when I was working.) Usually she does this when she has them to herself (not often), but I was asked once to bring them in, as it was after I had my 3rd and I guess she had less opportunities to have them alone. It was an office setting, so no large equipment or anything. I did my best to smile and follow along. DH took a child with him one time on a holiday when he had to go in for something quick - dd thought it was the best, since I had never even been there. Heavy equipment there, but there was no one around, and nothing turned on. Oh, but there was a vending machine. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 For the workplace that you describe, I wouldn't bring them in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Do we get a picture of the shrink wrapped baby? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 My mother does this exact thing - though she works in an office in a university. While I see your concerns, I feel like it's fine. Maybe make a deadline for the lunch - you *must* be there by a certain time for some reason so that you can be sure to keep the visit short so you don't get too anxious about potential disasters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Strollers ;) If you do it... buckle them in... take candy to eat (for Quiet's sake) and try to smile :) :iagree: But, don't do it if it doesn't feel right. My mom owns a private school, and she doesn't appreciate us dropping by, planned or surprise. :glare: It throws her game off. I took my kids to work with me since they were newborns. I worked in an old bead shop, which was incredibly kid unfriendly. At first I carried them in a baby bjorn, and let customers carry them around the shop. Then I transferred them to a walker, where they would follow customers around and knock into their legs. :lol: My cousin on the other hand, was killed in a horrible way at my uncles work place.. Sooo... our family has had a wide variety of experiences with kids at work. Follow your gut and use common sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 I don't see anything wrong or weird about a little field trip to grandma's job. Keep the kids buckled into strollers--that should take care of any safety concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 My mom used to work in a warehouse environment just as you described, and she asked me from time to time to bring the children by. I did. It wasn't a big deal. I couldn't do that now due to the fumes in the building because two of mine have breathing issues; plus, she no longer works there. A stroller or carrier of some sort would be helpful, and perhaps ask Mom ahead of time to keep the visit short and sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 It a grandma thing. It is the highlight of their year to show off their grandkids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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