We share a large open office with another company (they rent the space from us). The head guy brought his kid (about 4 or 5) into the office today and he’s totally out of control, and it’s very annoying. Right now, he’s typing (or shall I say bashing?) away on a typewriter – yeah, a typewriter! Before that he was running back and forth between his dad’s office: thump, thump, thump, “daddy!” Before that he was talking really really loud. Now he’s laughing.
Fer crissakes, if you have to bring the kid into the office, teach him some office manners, will you please? The dad has his own, large office. Why can’t he keep his kid in there with him and close the door? Instead, he’s out in the main office area, annoying everyone. Some of us are trying to work here!
My boss and our office manager sometimes bring their kids into the office. Their kids are very well-behaved. The mothers tell their kids to be quiet, and to speak in whisper voices. The admonish them not to run around. They give them something to do to keep them busy. You don’t even know they are there.
This is driving me crazy! I really hope the kid is not going to be here all day! This guy should know better than to bring an energetic 5-year-old into the office. But if it was really necessary, he should teach the kid how to behave and keep him in his office. ARGH!!! :mad:
Is there an unused office with a door he can go in and shut the door behind him? or a conference room he can be confined to?
At least he’s not hanging around your desk asking you what you’re doing or stealing your pens. Grabbing something you need, running a distance off and giggling about it. Man, I had a coworker whose kid was obnxious and she was oblivious.
The office I work parttime at now has an office way in the back that’s the “kids office”. Kid who come to work have to be in there. There’s an old sofa, TV, VCR and various kids toys and books. Most of the time we never know other kids are in the office.
Almost 2 hours later and the little devil is still bashing away on the typewriter. It is DRIVING. ME. CRAZY!
I would like to say something but it is awkward. I don’t really know those people, and you know how parents get when people ask them to have their kids settle down.
I really wish the guy would keep the kid in the office with him and close the door. HOW FUCKING RUDE. This is not a preschool or daycare center. It is a PLACE OF BUSINESS!
If you feel uncomfortable just asking the father to please try and keep his son quiet, then make up an important phonecall/ conference call that you need to listen to. Explain to the father that you really need to hear this call, and it’s a bit loud right now. Then sit with your phone to your head to about 5 minutes. Hopefully dad will respect this reason for needing a little quieter activities for his son.
Sigh. I know I should grow some balls and say something to the father. But it is very uncomfortable. I don’t know the guy, and people tend to be really weird about these things. I can tell all my coworkers are really uncomfortable by it, but no one will say anything outright.
Anyone else have any kids in the office stories?
I think it is OK to occassionally bring kids into the office, if they are quiet and well-behaved. This kid is anything but. It is rude of the parent to bring their kid in and not instruct them about how to act.
Well, we don’t really have markers or anything around. Just some pens and highlighters maybe. However, I just don’t feel it’s my responsibility to keep someone else’s kid quiet. You would think the father would realize that pounding away on a typewriter is not an acceptable activity for a kid to do in an open office. And he should tell his kid that running around or yelling is also not an acceptable office activity.
Like I said before, my boss and office manager bring their kids in and they are always well behaved. That is because their moms give them instructions on how to behave. It is the parent’s responsibility to teach their kids how to behave if they are going to bring them in.
BTW, I just heard the sound of breaking glass. I think the kid knocked over a glass of something. Great.
Oh, god. I used to work with this nightmare mother. She was big into attachment parenting and hence, her kid was always with her. Staff meetings, all day at the office, work-related functions, her 2 year old was always there. And it wasn’t like she couldn’t afford daycare, her husband made an insane salary, she didn’t even have to work.
I remember when I coordinated a $500 a head evening reception at a winery. Yeah. She brought the kid. A two year old. At an evening, $500 a head wine and cheese reception. I was beside myself. And god help anyone who dare say anything about it. She’d threaten to go to the press and tell everyone how un-family friendly we were, sue, scream bloody murder, pretty much. And we’re in politics, she had a great reputation in the district, so that kind of behavior could be very damaging. And it wasn’t like the kid was an angel. The woman didn’t believe in telling the child no. That should paint a picture for you.
We’d finally had it when she got pregnant with her second child. We couldn’t even imagine working with two kids running wild everywhere. Fortunately for everyone, she was convinced not to return from maternity leave.
Last I heard, she tried to get the local papers to print a slam piece on us. Fortunately, the editor-in-chief was on to her and refused to print the story.
Some people have got enough nerve to choke a damn horse. :mad:
Someone has to be nominally in charge when the boss is out. That person needs to direct the kid to a corner, give him some paper and pens and tell him to draw quietly for a while. Then talk to the dad about how disruptive the kid’s actions are. Not in a confrontational way. Say the boy’s a great kid, but a little too boisterous. The kid will not stop until someone makes him stop. He’s having a great time. And you know the dad will pitch a fit when the kid gets hurt.
