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[hipgeek]

I would rather watch Barbie DVDs 24/7 for an entire year than endure even one more episode of Thomas the Tank. Bioette LOVED that show.

Recently, I was coloring with my three-year-old nephew and I held up the blue crayon to ask him what color it was and he started chanting "Tho-mas" like a just been fed zombie.

[mended_drum]

Who cares if it's true? It's university policy. Half their policies probably aren't "true," yet enforcing them is my job.

I care because I'm sick to death of people claiming that they can, or cannot, do things because of "insurance." 

Sorry for the slight hijack, but my favorite instance of this is when a spokesman for a campus fraternity claimed that non-frat members couldn't attend parties for insurance reasons.  Because I'm that kind of person, I stood up and asked whether or not that included female students.  The spokesman tried to argue that the insurance company "understood" that there had to be women at the party and that they couldn't be members of the fraternity.  Uh-huh.

[gennimom]

I went back to class when Genni was only a couple of weeks old. She was too young for daycare and GD wasn't able to keep her (for reasons I won't mention here), so I took her once to one class and 3 times for another. In the class I took her to 3 times, unless she was asleep, the prof would pick her up and lecture while carrying her around. My classmates thought it was funny, but otherwise it didn't slow us down. I appreciated being able to pay attention without worrying about her. She was happy and I could see her the whole time.

The only time anyone brought up security reasons was the couple of times I took her to my assistantship position. I had an office at the end of the hall and didn't bother anyone, but the DH worried she would get hurt. Thankfully, her 6 week birthday rolled around and she went to daycare after that.

[crowie]

Who cares if it's true? It's university policy. Half their policies probably aren't "true," yet enforcing them is my job.

I care because I'm sick to death of people claiming that they can, or cannot, do things because of "insurance." 

Sorry for the slight hijack, but my favorite instance of this is when a spokesman for a campus fraternity claimed that non-frat members couldn't attend parties for insurance reasons.  Because I'm that kind of person, I stood up and asked whether or not that included female students.  The spokesman tried to argue that the insurance company "understood" that there had to be women at the party and that they couldn't be members of the fraternity.  Uh-huh.

Fantastic story m_d!  Love it.

[macaroon]

I would rather watch Barbie DVDs 24/7 for an entire year than endure even one more episode of Thomas the Tank. Bioette LOVED that show.

Recently, I was coloring with my three-year-old nephew and I held up the blue crayon to ask him what color it was and he started chanting "Tho-mas" like a just been fed zombie.

For all you Thomas "lovers", here's 50 cent rapping over the theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUQTVdqgJOc

Not to be missed.

[marigolds]

I thought of this thread the other day when I saw an image of Licia Ronzulli, a member of the Italian Parliament, at a vote with her toddler in her lap.

Image from when the baby was tiny.
Image from yesterday, with toddler voting right alongside mama.

Either Italy's culture around where kids belong is very different from ours, or she's violating some social norms (which might be the case, given the press coverage).

[dr_alcott]

I thought of this thread the other day when I saw an image of Licia Ronzulli, a member of the Italian Parliament, at a vote with her toddler in her lap.

Image from when the baby was tiny.
Image from yesterday, with toddler voting right alongside mama.

Either Italy's culture around where kids belong is very different from ours, or she's violating some social norms (which might be the case, given the press coverage).

Thanks for posting these, Marigolds. The first article says that "The 35-year-old was taking advantage of relatively relaxed rules that allow women to take their baby to work with them," but also that "the trend seems unlikely to catch on." Still, I love the photos.

[mystictechgal]

Our two semester chemistry for majors class is was an evening class last semester and is an evening class this semester. One of my classmates has brought her 10 yr old daughter to just about every class. Her daughter is quiet and reads, draws, or plays games on her phone (and once, when we were taking an exam and I wouldn't be needing it, I thrilled her by letting her play with my iPad), but she listens, too. I'm not sure how well she's doing with chemical equilibria and acid-base reactions, but after a class on stochiometry last semester I overheard her correctly explaining it to her mother and answering her questions as mom was waiting to ask them of the professor. She's a sharp little cookie.

[palla]

Since today is President's Day, the local schools did not have school today.  As a result, there were children on campus.  They weren't everywhere, but there were a good number of children.  One of my classes had children (very well behaved) and a few were seen in other areas. 

I thought of this thread often today and was very glad that our school doesn't frown when parents bring children.  Instead, I saw administrators stopping to talk to the children and make them feel welcome.

[bioteacher]

And many of the faculty also had kids at work today. Bioette played in my office while I was teaching the large room across the hall. When I came back, she even told me that someone stopped by asking for me. Once they got past the "I'm looking for Dr. Bioteacher/ Do you mean my mommy?" bit, she told them I was in the classroom across the hall teaching class.

No kids were in my class, but had they been, we'd have coped just fine.

[cgfunmathguy]

Since today is President's Day, the local schools did not have school today.  As a result, there were children on campus.  They weren't everywhere, but there were a good number of children.  One of my classes had children (very well behaved) and a few were seen in other areas. 

I thought of this thread often today and was very glad that our school doesn't frown when parents bring children.  Instead, I saw administrators stopping to talk to the children and make them feel welcome.

And many of the faculty also had kids at work today. Bioette played in my office while I was teaching the large room across the hall. When I came back, she even told me that someone stopped by asking for me. Once they got past the "I'm looking for Dr. Bioteacher/ Do you mean my mommy?" bit, she told them I was in the classroom across the hall teaching class.

No kids were in my class, but had they been, we'd have coped just fine.

I want a "Like" button for both of these. And it sounds like Bioette's conversation would have been cute had one been a fly on the wall.

[txgalprof]

I am grateful that my professors during my doc program were not like the author of the article. My very well-behaved daughter attended many a class, and played under my desk during my GA hours on many an occasion when I couldn't find a sitter. I wouldn't have made it through my program if it weren't for the kindness of the professors and other faculty/staff in my department.

I try to pay this forward, and, on occasion, I will allow a student to bring their child to class. However, the first priority is to the other students in the class, if there is a distraction from the child, then I will ask them to leave.

[lohai0]

I would rather watch Barbie DVDs 24/7 for an entire year than endure even one more episode of Thomas the Tank. Bioette LOVED that show.

Recently, I was coloring with my three-year-old nephew and I held up the blue crayon to ask him what color it was and he started chanting "Tho-mas" like a just been fed zombie.

My youngest brother would only watch two things. "Tho-mas" and Howard the Duck. I am not sure what was worse.

[oldadjunct]

Oh goody, the "kids in the classroom" debate is back!

Me, I am for it. I have frequently allowed parents to bring a kid and even a baby to class when they needed to do so. It has never caused more than a minor distraction. Heck, I once taught with my infant son on my back and put him in a crib inthe back of the classroom when he fell asleep. The students thought it was great.

I strongly suspect the insurance business is made up by school administrators.

Great story, Larry.  I used to regularly bring my first born to classes that I taught as a grad TA.  I would come in, put my brief case on the front table, raise up the sausage legged newborn and say, "Yes, I know, very cute, get over it."  I then put her on the shelf of the floor standing podium, rubbed her belly, and proceeded to conduct class.

This was back in the early 80's but you may remember those big 'ol desks with the typewriter shelves that pivoted up out of a cabinet on one side?  They made great changing tables.  And the cabinet space beneath the hinged shelf had ample space for diapers, cans of similac, and jars of baby food.

Interestingly, the only person to even raise an eyebrow about this was this new-agey, loosey goosey faculty guy.

[voxprincipalis]

Can you say "molehill?"
:)

Can you say "spammer"?

VP