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????

Specializes in Operating Room.

This is a great idea.

Find out if this will qualify for Volunteer hours! If your instructor could help out by signing for the hours, it possibly could go toward volunteer hours needed for college applications! ....just a thought! :)

Sorry if this has been suggested as I have jumped around in this thread but in my program there are a number of students who have teenage daughters who love to babysit. My daughter is one of them. We set up a sort of co-op deal where by my daughter babysits one or two nights while someone elses daughter will babysit other nights. We rotate the babysitting between us. This allows those who need help the opportunity to attend class and clinicals without the pressure of finding a sitter.

Now as for the money side of this. I have explained to my daughter that most folks are unable to pay her because we are in school so perhaps she can get tutoring or paper editing in exchange for her hours sitting. She also seems to understand that someday she may be in the same situation and will hope she is able to have someone babysit for her. That said, this is only for class attendance and clinicals. If someone needs her to babysit so they can have a night out they get charged the going sitter rate.

Of course this is only a suggestion but it might be helpful.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

As far as the baby's father...he is in prison. She has made her whole situation known. The father was never her "significant other", or even boyfriend. Basically it was a one night fling kinda thing. We just don't undarstand why she is continuing to bring her to school when she has another daughter that is 4 that stays at her parents house while we are in school. Why doesn't she leave the baby as well?? I am going to discuss this with the instructor next week. I appreciate everyone's input. THANKS!!

By the way how do you insert someone else's response so that others know what thread you are responding to??

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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?

soapbox.gif

While I agree with most in that kids shouldn't be brought to class, this problem bring up the issue of the lack of good child care in this country. I know someone mentioned government programs, but many programs have certain restrictions. For instance, some places around here don't take kids under one year of age, and friends have told me that the wait to get into some daycare centers is over one year. And many women don't have family members living nearby that can help them. Therefore, if anyone knows of a way to help this mother out, then someone in the class should mention that there are child care programs available to her. She may just not know about them. Also, if they know of anyone who can babysit her child, they can refer her to that person. Around here, government help with daycare is not advertised; you have to ask about them at Social Services.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

The more and more you tell us, them more I can see where you are coming from. I would definitely discuss the issue with your instructor.

There's people you can help, then there's people that you can't. It seems to me this is one that will expect a hand out for the rest of her life.

Obviously if she has another child at home being watched, she can trust someone to watch her children.

I'd have to bite my tongue not to say something to her.

As far as the baby's father...he is in prison. She has made her whole situation known. The father was never her "significant other", or even boyfriend. Basically it was a one night fling kinda thing. We just don't undarstand why she is continuing to bring her to school when she has another daughter that is 4 that stays at her parents house while we are in school. Why doesn't she leave the baby as well?? I am going to discuss this with the instructor next week. I appreciate everyone's input. THANKS!!

By the way how do you insert someone else's response so that others know what thread you are responding to??

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Specializes in Medical.
By the way how do you insert someone else's response so that others know what thread you are responding to??

Click on "quote" at the bottom right of the person's post, and what thet wrote will appear at the top of the box for your post. If you're editing out part of the post, make sure to keep the box bracketed sections - [] - or it won't come up as a separate section :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ER.
I give up. There are a lot ruder things.

It is truely dissapointing to see how many women in nursing lack real empathy, isn't it? This has really turned me off to nursing in many ways.

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I don't think this discussion has anything to do with "nursing" at all. We happen to be nurses discussing an issue of bringing a newborn into a class and if we think that is a good idea or not.

It isn't a lack of empathy that makes me say it is not appropriate to bring children into a true nursing program class. As I mentioned, I did bring my kids to some lectures when they were elementary age and they sat quietly. I also got permission from the instructor and my fellow classmates for my 11 year old to attend anatomy dissection.

But the nursing program is different.

And I would have said that way before becoming a nurse.

I understand the emergency situations but this is a regular occurance and a result of poor planning.

Sometimes it is not the right time to go to school - maybe she needs to take time off and be with her kids until they are in school.

steph

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It is truely dissapointing to see how many women in nursing lack real empathy, isn't it? This has really turned me off to nursing in many ways.

I think that's incredibly unfair. Having compassion doesn't mean accepting absolutely anything regardless of how negatively it affects others. I am sure her future employer will not be letting her bring a newborn along with her while doing her med pass. This class obviously tried to help their classmate. What is so bad about asking her to tape lectures or write her exams in another room if she is routinely unable to find childcare? No one is talking about kicking her out of school. I don't think that suggestion shows a lack of empathy. I think ROUTINELY doing something distracting in class shows a lack of consideration, professionalism and common sense.

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Specializes in Medical.
I think that's incredibly unfair. Having compassion doesn't mean accepting absolutely anything regardless of how negatively it affects others. I am sure her future employer will not be letting her bring a newborn along with her while doing her med pass. This class obviously tried to help their classmate. What is so bad about asking her to tape lectures or write her exams in another room if she is routinely unable to find childcare? No one is talking about kicking her out of school. I don't think that suggestion shows a lack of empathy. I think ROUTINELY doing something distracting in class shows a lack of consideration, professionalism and common sense.
:yeahthat: :yeahthat:
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My last post on this topic. There should be free daycare for all working mothers and fathers and students attending school. Why? because as it has been so clearly stated in this thread people have to work and they can't work at jobs that will support them if they have no education. you can wait until you are 30 or 40 or whatever to have a child, but life still happens and you may end up needing daycare to go to work. We can't all stop having kids just to be able to have career--the population will decline and seeing how over half of marriages end in divorce, there is always going to be a single mom without a babysitter. It's a catch 22--damned if you do damned if you don't. ( I hope I can say that) .

Believe me, if the school provided "free" child care they would just charge everyone else more money so it wouldn't really be free, especially for those that don't need the "free" childcare.

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

It was stated that all of the other students "know" her situation. But, I didn't notice you saying if you asked her if it's a temporary situation, or even if she's looking for childcare. Like OP said, there may be more to the situation than you know.

I wouldn't mind having a child in class if they were quiet, but I do think if other students mind then something should be done. I try to not comment on a situation unless I can suggest a solution, otherwise it's like you're just whining:rolleyes:

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I really don't get all this talk about the lack of compassion on the part of the people here who believe a child doesn't belong in the classroom. College is NOT a daycare for little ones. If this woman already has a child who is being watched in the evening, then why can't that person also watch the baby? Does this student mother simply want the attention? She can pump her breast milk. She needs to have compassion on the rest of the class. She made a choice to have (probably unprotetced) sex with some random guy, she needs to deal with the consequences herself.

I can see occasionally bringing a well-behaved child to class in an emergency, but definitely not regularly. A lady in my A&P class brought her 8 y/o to a Sat. class because she couldn't get a babysitter and that little girl never made a peep. She colored the entire time. I know my 2 1/2 y/o son does not belong in my class. He is very rambunctious and would surely be a huge disruption. If I could not get a babysitter, I would miss class that day, plain and simple.

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