Taking your kids to work?

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Bob Russell — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:48:32 GMT

A farm visit was very therapeutic for my youngest son. He was having problems at his nursery school and was refusing to go! He came out on a farm visit with me so we could talk 'man to man'.

The gist of the problem was 'They make me dance, I don't like dancing!'. I explained that when he was older dancing would be a good way to meet girls. After a long, thoughtful silence he looked at me, grinned and said 'I like dancing!' - nearly fifteen years later, dad was proved right!

Some moments in life are priceless. This was one of them and I can recollect it to the tiniest detail. Except cannot remember which farm we visited!

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:57:50 GMT

[quote user="Malcolm Ness"]

. On the contrary, there is a tradition hereabouts that newborns are given a coin the first time they are seen by an adult. As a result, Judy would often finish her evening surgery to find Andrew's carrycot rattling with loose change. Money was invested and 18 years later it went a long way to funding Andrew's gap year travels!

[/quote]

My God even with runaway inflation that must mean you had some very generous clients. My daughter's gap year cost £13K+ for Ski le Gap in Canada and another £3k+ for her obligatory trip backpacking round the world. Mind you I could have saved all the years of university fees as she's now working in Japan as a ski instructor with the qualification she gained in her gap year despite gaining a master's in computer science. I 've just realised I've told you that before or have I? - must be my age.

PS as for the OP my children have also accompanied to work since they were in nappies, the younger one (well I say younger - she's 21) still helps part time when I'm a nurse short.

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Malcolm Ness — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:18:57 GMT

Judy, my wife, returned to work soon after our son was born and consequently, he spent a lot of time in carrycot or car seat asleep at work often behid reception while Judy was consulting. While awake he was often passed from clucking maternal client to clucking maternal client throughout a consulting session. He hasn't taken any obvious harm from the experience. On the contrary, there is a tradition hereabouts that newborns are given a coin the first time they are seen by an adult. As a result, Judy would often finish her evening surgery to find Andrew's carrycot rattling with loose change. Money was invested and 18 years later it went a long way to funding Andrew's gap year travels!

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:53:20 GMT

I haven't got children, but an old boss of mine, Peter Shepherd of Llandrindod Wells was, while still a young man,and at that time in single-handed practice, unfortuneate enough to have his first wife die of cancer-leaving him the single father of 2 boys of 4 and 6. Some 20 years later,when I went to work with him,the farmers would tell me about him coming to do middle of the night calvings, with the boys in pyjamas and dressing gowns,and wrapped in blankets, fast asleep in the back of the car

Wynne

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Phil Elkins — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:25:05 GMT

I had to take my eleven month old son to a calving once out of hours due to an administrative oversight (both me and my wife being on call at the same time) and he spent the whole time screaming moo at the top of his voice. I wouldn't generally advise taking young babies out on farm but similar to all the other posters, once he is of school-going age he will be with one of us at work all day every day during the holidays which bothers me not a jot.

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Bob Russell — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:02:41 GMT

My two boys cannot stand the sight of blood - just as squeamish as their mother! Daughter loves things gory - bit like her mother!!! (NB different mothers!!)

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:37:40 GMT

I wouldn't know about kids, but my children were constantly about the practice and coming on visits from the day I put my plate up. Anything surgically removed: "Can I take it to school Daddy?"

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 23:12:06 GMT

Same as above. As Ian and I have had our own practice since they were babies, they've always been around! Heather fell asleep behind the reception (watched by the receptionist) on a vetbed one day when she was approx 12months old and I had popped in for a mo!!!

As it is our own practice we don't have 'the boss' issues, but they truly are no bother. Ian and I both work every other Saturday morning so the kiddies have regularly spent Saturday mornings at the practice since they were 3!!! We have a lounge with TV etc so they are comfy and safe. They are now 6 and 7 - Callum wants to be a Vet, Heather a Doctor! Like above, they are never squeamish and love the gory stuff!

When we did our own OOH I did a bitch caesarian watched by the nurse's 9month old, safely enclosed in it's carseat! Another nurse's 8 year old spends half an hour or so in the practice lounge either side of school hours until Mum or Dad pick her up. As long as the staff member is aware that they are responsible for their child's safety and behaviour (and obviously this system only works with children who know how to behave) then it causes us no bother at all.

Re: Taking your kids to work?

plantagenet — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:44:30 GMT

My two have been coming to work with me since they were very small and since I owned my own practice, every day, all day in the holidays. The 14 year old now answers the phone and does excellent reception duties and other tasks, makes a nice cup of tea and buys lunch if we are busy. The little one (8) washes up very thoroughly. They always have been very safety aware. The older does NOT want to be a vet and the younger one now only watches surgery only if its bloody, yucky or involves removing eyes. She also gave graffic details of rabbit castration to her class mates with sound effects apparently.

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Rob Davis — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:50:30 GMT

All four of mine (ages 8-12) come to work with me on occasion, usually individually, but all at once on one occasion when my wife was ill! They seem to love sitting in on consultations (as long as the owners are happy with this) and watching ops (my eldest son offered to castrate the school rabbits as he reckoned he'd seen enough to do one himself..... funnily enough they preferred me to do the surgery!)

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Bob Russell — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 09:41:07 GMT

We often have staff 'owned' children around the place. They can get into all those small places adults cannot quite get with the bleach!

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Andrew Mellor — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:59:07 GMT

lack of child care means my 7 and 10yr old kids are regular fixtures and fittings at the surgery, they are very good mainly keep to the staff kitchen but have been known to 'help' nurses with basic jobs like fitting bottle tops folding booster reminders etc

My boss seems to have accepted either they are at the surgery or I am not!

Re: Taking your kids to work?

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:51:35 GMT

My boss's son is about 8 or 9, comes in sometimes and 'helps' in reception or sweeping or some computer make-work. Not allowed near xray machines or anything blatantly hazardous; common sense seems to be the key and the boy seems to enjoy the bonding time. :)