Taking your kid to work

Dear Parent,

I do not like it when you bring your kids to work. I work from home and I do not like it when I have to put my work on hold to keep your child safe and out of my things while you take care of plumbing problems, fix my washing machine, or whatever you are in my home to do. I especially did not like the painter who brought his son into our under-construction house. Your son stepped in paint and then walked all over the wood floors and up the stairs. Why was he upstairs? Why was he in my home to begin with? And why couldn't you have cleaned up the paint?

I do not like it when a child is brought to my home, and then informed that said child is afraid of dogs. "Could you put your dog in the bathroom?" No, I can't. He knows a stranger is in my home and he wants to be near me. YOU can take your child home. "I'm givin' the missus a break, I take him with me when I have to make calls so that she can have some peace." Give me a break! When my child was young, I didn't take him to my spouse's office when I needed a break. I sucked it up and did my job. You are here to do a job, and I am not a free babysitter. And I don't want my bathroom destroyed by my dog so that your child can run around my home. Sorry that you had to take your child home. But I write the check, I write the rules. I'm just odd that way.

Speaking of dogs, Dear Parent, my neighbor was not amused when the roofer brought not only his 3-year-old son to the job site, but his dog. The lab decided my puppy looked like a tasty snack. I couldn't enjoy sitting outside because your dog wanted to attack my puppy. And Dear Parent, knowing that the home that you were roofing was on the water, what made you even think about bringing your young child? You couldn't possibly watch him. I know, because he was constantly in my yard and at my back door, wanting me to play with him, or get him juice. This 3-year-old was unattended all morning while you worked on the roof. After lunch, he was unattended until it was too dark for you to work. I could tell when you arrived the next day that you were not happy that the neighbor and I asked that you keep your dog and child at home. Blaring your horn at 6:30 a.m. is so immature. Blasting the music on your boom box was annoying. But karma can be a bitch. A lot of homes were damaged in the Hurricane. The neighbor and I did not give you a good recommendation when asked. We simply said "He brought his 3-year-old to the job site, and his dog, and he blasted his music. If you choose to use him, you might want to make sure that he leaves his family at home."

Those are not the only instances in which service people have brought their children to the job site. Maybe it is custom in this general area, who knows. But it is not a local custom in which I want to participate. It is rude, and it is not safe for your child. Several years ago, didn't you read in the newspaper about the 3-year-old who strangled to death in his carseat straps while his dad and grand dad cut wood for the family business? They said that they checked on him every 10 minutes while he watched a DVD. I'm not buying that. In any case, their child paid the ultimate price because the missus needed a break.

In times past, children often worked at the knee of their parents. They learned skills and a trade this way. If you can figure out how to roof a house while teaching your 3-year-old the trade, and keep him safe, and not bother the homeowners and neighbors, great! If you can teach a child to fix a washing machine or paint a room and keep him from destroying the home and aggravating the owners, great! But don't expect us to babysit, feed, and toilet your child. That's what God invented babysitters for if the missus isn't up to it.

Regards,

Anonymous Parent and had-it-up-to-here homeowner