Bringing your *new* baby to school....

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Problem here all....recent member of class had a baby. Now, so far our school has been VERY strict about pretty much everything. Now, I understand that this student is a single mother, on assistance and struggling (well, who isn't nowadays). But anyways she was recently told by our instructor that she can bring her baby to class with her so she doesn't have to miss time. We have class one night a week and we ALWAYS have a test that night because the rest of the week we are in clinical. A lot of the students are complaining that it is distracting, granted she is pretty quiet for the most part but she gets passed around from person to person to be held for the 5 hours we are there and it IS distracting! Plus there are people in class that have had to miss class time because of "children" problems, babysitter couldn't come or whatever....these students feel it is unfair that she was given the choice to BRING her baby to class but others missed time! Something just isn't right about this situation. I don't want to sound like a mean person because I DO want to see her succeed and finish school but at the same time COME ON!!!!!! :angryfire Am I wrong for feeling this way????

How "new" is the baby? I would see if I could help her find a sitter and have some compassion.

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I agree that it isn't appropriate to bring a newborn to class for five hours but you should also show some compassion for the new mom. Maybe you and some of your other classmates can give her some advice on finding childcare. If she's already on assistance do you think her dropping out of school is going to help her situation? She probably just needs some help... I'm a single mom of two kids and if I hadn't been able to bring them to class on occassion I wouldn't have been able to make it into nursing school. I haven't had to being them to class with me since I've been in nursing school, thank goodness, but if you have no choice than you have no choice.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

A NEWBORN baby is a completely different critter than one who is awake and playful and interactive - she should be taking her exams in a seperate room either way.

I can see bring a newborn baby to class to class for a month or three, but an older baby would be a huge distraction!

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^But she isn't going to be a newborn for long. Yes, the baby *may* sleep through most of the class now... but what will happen in a couple months when the baby is awake more, babbles a lot, wants to crawl, etc? The mother needs to start looking for other arrangements now, before it becomes a bigger problem. Maybe her classmates could help her find someone, or share a babysitter on that night, so maybe two students can split the cost of a babysitter.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

No I don't think you are wrong.

My school states the if it is not your time in life to do BOTH school and raise children then wait until latter times.

Some feel offended by this others don't. I certainly can understand her being a single mother and all but sometimes you have to plan things and wish it goes this well because the world cannot "accommodate" all your needs.

I am usually the target because ppl argue that I have no children and this and that but guess what? I know I can't get myself into that right now and BOTH my husband and I are waiting to start a family. Yeah this is :offtopic: but just wanted to get my point across. :)

I was one of those who could not go to college after H.S and now at a latter time I am ready to go back.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

I doubt she will be allowed to bring the baby when she is no longer a newborn and for all you know she may already have other arrangements.

Life happens...

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Just a thought....

There may be more to the story than you know. The instructors may possibly know more about her particular situation than what is (or should be) shared w/the rest of the class.

I agree with the above. Sometimes there are things that influence decisions. However, it seems that the instructor could have gone one step further- asked the class above you if some of them might be willing to babysit in the student lounge area. If its a newish baby, it may sleep, and the students could study. The baby shouldn;t be being passed about and such like, too distracting.

We did have a dad bring his 8 yr old to class. The child was very quiet and at the end of the day he let loose that he was also very bored- despite his dad having brought books and crayons and a game boy thingy that was on silent. But that was an emergency- the school system called a snow day and the Univ. didn't.

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Pleas allow me a minute on my soap box.

It just bothers me that we do not have enough adequate trained child-care for working mums and dads in this country. Yes, I know its an individual choice to have kids and I know that we are all reponsible for our own family. But what about those folks, middle class and lower class that have to work just to make ends meet? What about those dads that have no mum to SAH? What about those mums whose dad has passed on?

If the true nature of a society is the value it puts in its kids, what does it say that professional athletes play in multi-billion dollar stadiums built new every 10 years with tax dollars while we have to pull teeth to pass a bond issue to fix our 30 year old schools.

As a single woman with no children I am still very concerned!

I will hop down off my soap box now before I slip!

p.s. This post was a personal observation and not intended to be an attack on any person.

soapbox.gif

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sorry but nursing school is not day care. and if there is "something" going on, then maybe a leave of absence from school is necessary. i am not sure about other hospitals but I know mine doesn't allow it. can you imagine "can you hold my baby while I put your cath in?" I know people have lives but if your life doesn't allow to go to school uninerrupted then I suggest waiting until it does.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
No I don't think you are wrong.

My school states the if it is not your time in life to do BOTH school and raise children then wait until latter times.

Some feel offended by this others don't. I certainly can understand her being a single mother and all but sometimes you have to plan things and wish it goes this well because the world cannot "accommodate" all your needs.

I am usually the target because ppl argue that I have no children and this and that but guess what? I know I can't get myself into that right now and BOTH my husband and I are waiting to start a family. Yeah this is :offtopic: but just wanted to get my point across. :)

I was one of those who could not go to college after H.S and now at a latter time I am ready to go back.

Some people do "wait to have a family" or even make plans to go to school and have kids. But the best made plans are subject to fail. I'm sorry but I think some of the posters should have more compassion for this woman; she made it into nursing school and usually stopping out a semester is not an option.

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Some people do "wait to have a family" or even make plans to go to school and have kids. But the best made plans are subject to fail. I'm sorry but I think some of the posters should have more compassion for this woman; she made it into nursing school and usually stopping out a semester is not an option.

But why should the rest of the class suffer for her lack of planning or what have you. They are paying decent money to get their degree with a bunch of other ADULTS, not distracting children.

I believe in out state if you are on assistance you may be entitled to free child care. I understand that child care is expensive and hard to find a night time provider. Perhaps she she put up a bulletin at the scool offering to swap childcare w/ another mother that attends class on a different schedule.

Children do not belong in class. I can see if it is an emergency and all but not as an everyday occurance.

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Some people do "wait to have a family" or even make plans to go to school and have kids. But the best made plans are subject to fail. I'm sorry but I think some of the posters should have more compassion for this woman; she made it into nursing school and usually stopping out a semester is not an option.

Regardless of how she wound up a single mom, she is one and the other students had nothing to do with it. No one in this country is forced to have a child they don't want, so they have to live with the consequences of their choice. I don't see why asking her to write the exam in another room or tape lectures if she can't find a babysitter is being unfair. Perhaps there are other single moms in the class who could share babysitting duties.

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