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

Nursing Students General Students

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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 Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
I thought I'd add one more comment to this thread.

For those of you asking about her clinicals...

The class is at night, I don't remember the OP saying the clincals were at night as well.

It's much, much harder to find a sitter at night than in the day. MOST daycares are not open at night, and many teenaged babysitters are not allowed to babysit during the week. If she is on public assistance, she may live in an area where she wouldn't want to leave her baby with the neighbors at night. She may not have family around to help her out, or her family may be too drugged out for her to trust them with her baby. For that matter, many people are scared of newborns and WON'T watch them!!!! She may not be able to find anyone to watch her baby.

We don't know the circumstances, but I'm sure this girl would be eternally grateful for the help she is receiving. She is trying to make something out of her life. It's a shame our society balks at people just living on assistance without trying to get off of it, and when someone does try, we kick them back to the wolves.

Again, I do not agree with the baby being passed around, nor do I believe children should be brought to school. However, I do know that I am a caring enough person to try to help this person.

Obviously if the baby is being passed around, the baby is not bothering all of the students.

Exactly. Obviously everyone is not all that ticked about this otherwise they would be cutting their eyes at the mom and baby rather than passing the child around. If anything, they are providing their own distraction; most newborns sleep hours on end and don't wake up til it's time for

YOU to go to sleep. also what is this whole legal liability thing. They have games at school--kids come. Why would anyone be liable or the child just because they are on school grounds?

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
also what is this whole legal liability thing. They have games at school--kids come. Why would anyone be liable or the child just because they are on school grounds?

Depends on the school. Out of curiousity, i looked in my college's handbook to see if they had a policy regarding this.

"Children are not permitted in the classrooms or school buildings, unless there is a late emergency (i.e. school being called off), and even then must be accompanied by the adult student at all times. Student is held responsible for child or children. Permission is allowed on a very temporary basis."

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Two words for this: ]breast pump.

Two more words:

Increased productivity.

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I think it is just rude to the other students. I am glad these shenanigans don't go on at my school.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
Two more words:

Increased productivity.

LOL. What's that mean?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
I think it is just rude to the other students. I am glad these shenanigans don't go on at my school.

I give up. There are a lot ruder things.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

It means they've found that when the moms are allowed to bring their babies to work with them, they actually have increased productivity (and fewer sick days) than if the infant is childcare.

The AZ Dept. of Health allows this for their new moms, and it's worked quite well. Needless to say, it makes for very happy employees and less job turnover.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

This is nursing school, though, the workplace is somewhat of a different ballpark.

(Bedtime)

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
This is nursing school, though, the workplace is somewhat of a different ballpark.

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) .

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Just for the record I would like to let you all know that think we as a class have no compassion for our fellow classmate that WE as a CLASS spent over $400 to buy her diapers, clothes, A CRIB, car seat and tons of other things. As far as breast feeding goes I know a lot of women who pump so to me that is not an excuse to have to bring the baby to school. She is on assistance and makes it well known that pretty much everything is paid for her INCLUDING school, she IS allowed to take maternity leave and still get all her benefits and school paid for. I have 2 children of my own and KNOW how hard it can be, my husband and I had to file bankrptcy this year because we also had things happen, but no one came together and gave US money. I missed days of class because my husband was in the hospital and couldn't find anyone to watch my children, I wasn't given the opportunity to bring them to class, instead not only did I have to make up the time but had pay $300 for each day I missed!?!?!?! Something doesn't seem right to me. Call me uncompassinate if you like but I think sometimes people get used to "they system" and expect everyone to cater to them because they have it "so bad". Well, we have had it bad too so don't think for a minute that I don't know what it is like!!

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Just for the record I would like to let you all know that think we as a class have no compassion for our fellow classmate that WE as a CLASS spent over $400 to buy her diapers, clothes, A CRIB, car seat and tons of other things. As far as breast feeding goes I know a lot of women who pump so to me that is not an excuse to have to bring the baby to school. She is on assistance and makes it well known that pretty much everything is paid for her INCLUDING school, she IS allowed to take maternity leave and still get all her benefits and school paid for. I have 2 children of my own and KNOW how hard it can be, my husband and I had to file bankrptcy this year because we also had things happen, but no one came together and gave US money. I missed days of class because my husband was in the hospital and couldn't find anyone to watch my children, I wasn't given the opportunity to bring them to class, instead not only did I have to make up the time but had pay $300 for each day I missed!?!?!?! Something doesn't seem right to me. Call me uncompassinate if you like but I think sometimes people get used to "they system" and expect everyone to cater to them because they have it "so bad". Well, we have had it bad too so don't think for a minute that I don't know what it is like!!

((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))):)

Z

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Eh, I guess I just don't get the "if she can do it, why can't I??" attitude. Maybe I don't see things so black and white, but I guess I see that as kind of a child's mentality, where everything must be exactly equal among all the siblings or you hear cries of "That's not faaaaaaaairrrrrr!!" Yeah, I'd love to bring my children to class on days when they don't have school, or their school gets a snow day. But I *can* make other arrangements, so I do. I'm not going to begrudge the mom of the newborn who hasn't figured out arrangements yet (but who presumably is working on it). Different circumstances require different solutions. As long as the baby is not distracting me in class, my life and my schooling are not affected by whether this woman brings her newborn into lecture with her for the next month, so I guess I just don't get what the big deal is.

See, I don't really blame the mothers who would feel it was unfair. They would have the right to expect the same concession because it would be as beneficial for them as it is for the student bringing her baby to class, and they are paying the same tuition as she is. I don't think the cries of "unfair" would rise unless or until their own request to bring their children was denied...which the school would have a hard time justifying once one student has already been given permission.

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