I am a firm advocate of anything that helps make it better for working mothers or (as I think of myself) mothers who work. But yesterday on the Today show they were talking about bringing babies to work. I told my kids “Come see the story about watching babies go to work”. My four year old pointed out “Wait a minute. Babies can’t drive cars”. True, but even beyond that I am not sure I’m behind this one.

As an aside, when directed to come see the story about babies at work, one twin said “Barack Obama”. Why? Because she is MAD, MAD for Barack Obama. Yesterday she said “I love Barack Obama, but I love Elmo”. Like she had been engaged in a soul-searching over who she should love most. The answer to many if not all questions is “Barack Obama” (in this, she is similar it seems to most of America…relentless optimism, hope for “change”–though her trigger points probably lie closer to a no-nap policy then any big ideas of universal healthcare). We’re pretty Republican, so we’re not sure if she’s forging her own path, trying to “push our buttons” as the four year old says, or just really likes the B-man.

Anyway, I did a google search and it seems that there are companies out there doing this, and confining it to the babies’ first nine months–certainly a bit more reasonable as there’s a lot of sleeping going on (in theory) during that time. Still, it’s pretty disruptive. I personally have anecdotal evidence from THIS VERY DAY when I bribed my three “impish delights” (I think that’s how I’ll refer to them, en masse, from here on out…based on my last posting of their general naughtiness, yet delightfulness)…I bribed ‘em so I could treat myself to a fulfilling, rewarding conference call from work by putting them in front of Bob the Builder and WOULDN’T you know it it ended just as I had to say my 1 minute piece, thus I was blabbering about marketing while they were bawling about Bob from outside the office door. Awesome.

In an office, there arguably wouldn’t be the trauma of Bob ending, but what WOULD there be? Staplers? Computers? I mean, I guess mine all are over the “bring the baby to work” cutoff, but I still think what with technology today doesn’t it just make sense to let employees work a fair share of their schedule from home, where they and their baby can be happily engaged?

Still, at least it’s nice to see companies doing what they can to recognize that women want to stay productive.

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