[Publib] children of staff

Sun Feb 3 16:00:30 EST 2008

Wow. That one hits a nerve, even after all these years. My son is in  his 30s 
now, but there were times, when he was young, when there was simply 
nothing for it but to bring him to work with me. Various Easter week 
holidays come to mind, when there wasn't school and there wasn't daycare 
or babysitters. Or sometimes there just wasn't. I was working in an art 
school library then, and his father and another family member for a large 
public library, and sometimes we just had to. He would sort papers or 
office supplies or read. Other staff were nice to him. We were desperate, 
but it worked. 
At one point, one library decided, that because of insurance concerns, our 
son couldn't be there any more. So he came with me, when that had to 
happen. 
By the time he was 12, he could take the NYC subway and meet one of us 
in our offices. By the time he was 14, we could leave him on his own.
I am still angered, after all these years, that it was so hard: hard to find day 
care, hard to get time off, hard to be a parent and a professional at the same 
time. We did it, though. 
I would never have asked permission. They would have said no. But faced 
with me and a rather charming 8 year old, and my matter-of-factness 
(hiding terror, I might add) about the situation, they let it go. 
I worked both in public service and administration at that time, and so did 
his other caregivers. It was only regular during long holidays. 
I realize this doesn't tell you what you want to know. But I am surprised at 
the depth of my anger and upset, after all this time.
And my son turned out OK, he's an sf writer and editor.
GraceAnne

--------------------------------------------------
The honorable Deborah noted on 3 Feb 2008 thusly:

Does anyone have a policy or procedure, written or unwritten, regarding staff children 
in the workplace while the library employee is on the job? If you do allow staff 
children, do you limit by the child's age, duration of time they spend in the library or 
level of attention the child needs? Also, are the children allowed in staff areas, public 
or private, and have other employees accepted the situation?
I understand that emergencies do come up and that a child of a staff member may end 
up at the library due to a minor illness or cancellation by a babysitter but has anyone 
dealt with an employee who habitually brings their children to work? 
Thanks!

Deb Beasley
Blue Island PL

Beware the man of one book. Latin Proverb

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GraceAnne A. DeCandido
Reader Writer Reviewer ~ New York City
Part-time lecturer in children's and YA literature Rutgers SCILS/PDS

Favorite titles 2007
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should act as if life were going to win. ... we should act as if we were attending 
the marriage of responsibility and delight."
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