Do Techies Care For Daycare?

DeICQLady writes "After browsing this, I remembered numerous days on my co-op when my mentor and other engineers had to come up with ways to entertain their children (when they had to be out of school, snowstorm, et al.) and had to do this instead of concentrating on work. I have not heard of many companies wanting to do anything about it. Is it that techies don't want (need?) it? Would it be to our advantage if companies were concerned about providing this for us? Why or why not?" The majority of "techies" are still young, male and single so daycare really isn't a factor for them until they are well into their careers. However, this majority is quickly dwindling and it may due to think about other 'perks' that the workplace can offer other than free cell phones and Internet access. What do you all think?

Comments

Watch for hypocrisy

[Zigg]

I highly recommend that anyone who would call for IT companies (or any company, for that matter) to provide daycare while they are also calling for parental responsibility instead of government censorship think twice about what they are saying. By giving your children, which are supposed to be the most important thing in your life, to daycare, you are explicitly opting out of taking parental responsibility.

My own children will never be in "daycare". Until they start going to school, they'll either be cared for by myself or my wife, or another family member, even if it means we have to live that much more frugally. Those engineers who had to "entertain their children" instead of "concentrating on work" (doesn't that ring alarm bells in anyone else's heads?) had the right idea.

Re:Watch for hypocrisy

[big_groo]

Opting out of taking parental responsibility?? Are you mad?

This is an exccellent example of providing parental responsibility! You have to actively interview the said "daycare" to see if it is right for your child. Daycare workers have degrees in Developmental Psychology, Early childhood education, etc. etc. etc. If anything, they're more qualified than YOU are to raise a kid.

You make it sound as if we're dropping our kids off at "Less's Crack House/Daycare Centre"

What exactly do you think Kindergarten is? Glorified daycare. Daycare provides a child with something you cannot. Socialization skills. You can't provide that in the home - unless you're a Mormon with an enormous family - that would explain the "parental responsibility" comment.

Some people simply can't afford to not work. We were fortunate enough to have my wife take 2 years off. What about the single mothers? Single fathers? Unless, of course, you're happy with welfare...

Re:Watch for hypocrisy

[nellardo]

I highly recommend that anyone who would call for IT companies (or any company, for that matter) to provide daycare while they are also calling for parental responsibility instead of government censorship think twice about what they are saying.

Okay. I'm a parent. My daughter (4 years old) is in daycare full time. Any form of government censorship is repugnant to me.

So let's look at this again:

By giving your children, which are supposed to be the most important thing in your life, to daycare, you are explicitly opting out of taking parental responsibility.

I'm sorry - this just doesn't make sense. How have I opted out of parental responsibility by choosing how my daughter will be cared for? I have taken responsibility for deciding what kind of environment she is in. I talk with her every day about what happened at "school". Any problems she had, anything especially fun she did, anything especially significant she accomplished (like when she counted to 102). Where have I opted out of parental responsibility? Just because I am not personally around her every moment of every day? I've got news for you - that kind of hovering is smothering. You get children that can't decide anything for themselves.

Raising a child is not about producing a clone of yourself. Raising a child is about helping a human being reach his or her full potential. Exposing a child to new environments is letting the child learn. Your child will never learn to walk if you catch them before they fall.

An emphatic YES!

[empesey]

I would love for someone to feed me cookies and juice while I'm working. I wouldn't turn down an attractive female singing songs to me while I'm debugging some heinous code either. I'd get a box full of toys (which I would gladly share with the other programmers). Currently my job doesn't allow me to take naps, but with daycare it's part of the package.

Sign me up.

Daycare != irresponsible

[Ratteau]

Daycare is a very responsible thing to do for your children. This is certainly not opting out of anything -- its not as if you would have been there with them at that time anyway, you would have been at work. Remember, the person you are going to be is pretty much defined by the age of 6 (I cannot give a specific footnote here, sorry), and this interaction is very important.

Responsible parents check out multiple daycare centers in their community, get references, etc. It is the start of education, and where most kids begin to develop their social skills, i.e. how to deal with other children, share, etc.

And daycare is not just for preschoolers -- many offer programs for younger elementary school children after school and before their parent(s) get home.

You have some good points about living more frugally, but some people just cannot do that, and I think your opening statment is a bit extreme

Company daycare

[Masem]

I don't understand why more IT departments have daycare -- think of how much MORE code you could produce in a day if you put the tykes to work (and the working are paying the company to keep them there!). And since they are 'temporary' , you don't need to worry about stock options!

you are fooling yourself

[twitter]

Responsible parents raise their children. Daycare falls short in many ways, and the poster was not extreem.

As rhesus monkey experiments show, infants need the security and comfort of a mother, not the "social interaction" of a daycare baby factory. Haven't you seen the films of monkeys raised on wire cages with a bottle as a mom? They grew up sociopaths because the world had never provided them warmth or security. What makes you think some overworked daycare "proffesional" is going to be able to provide any more love? Putting you child into one of these places where they are abandoned in a crib surrounded by the cries of all thier peers is just cruel.

What do you get in return for this abandonment, more money? Huh! If your wife makes less than $25,000 you are loosing money on that second car, day care, and her wardrobe, so quit slaving her.

Very few women I know really like the "liberation" and "empowerment" of work. What double think.

Re:you are fooling yourself

[EricWright]

twitter babbled:
Very few women I know really like the "liberation" and "empowerment" of work. What double think.

Wow. I didn't know there were many Amish reading Slashdot. All of the childless women I know prefer working to sitting around at all day. Those women I know who do have kids have career aspirations, too. Staying at home for 5 years will kill any chance they have at a long, successful career in a field of their choosing.

When you have a child who ISN'T a rhesus monkey, then you can spout off about your experiences. In my experience, my son prefers being able to socialize with other children his age on (mostly) his own terms. He also is growing up without experiencing the stereotype that mothers should stay home popping out babies every year.

Eric

Re:I'm single. Why should I pay for your day care?

[Tackhead]

> If you do not have children you do not participate in the daycare, just like if you already have health insurance you will not participate in the company's health insurance program.

Your analogy is flawed.

If I already have health insurance, I'm free to cancel it and take advantage of the employer-subsidized one. An investment opportunity is by definition open to all; I don't even have to cancel my existing brokerage account in order to take advantage of a 401(k).

Consequently, the benefits you mention available to all employees regardless of lifestyle choice. This does not apply to day care. Employers should not be in the business of subsidizing lifestyle choices.

Let me put it another way: Forgive me for putting words in your mouth, but I'd bet that if your employer said "we're gonna give all the childfrees, singles, and gay employees a $5000/year bonus because they don't jack up our group health premiums with pregnancy expenses and they never take [m|p]aternity leave", you'd be screaming blue murder that it was blatant discrimination based on a lifestyle choice.

And you'd be absolutely right to do so. Any company that pulled a stunt like that would be guilty of discrimination, and would deserve more than protest, it would deserve lawsuits.

So why do you consider it OK to discriminate against people who choose not to have kids?

Understand that I'm not arguing against provision of day care per se. I'm arguing against a company that provides day care to its breeding employees, but nothing to its non-breeding employees.

Got a problem with me being "childfree"? OK, what about a couple who desperately wants kids, but is infertile? Same thing applies.

Even better if it's onsite

[Zulfiya]

I'm a bit amazed at the negativity being aimed at the daycare concept.

I'd most appreciate corporate sponsored daycare if they sponsored it onsite. You might manage to spend more time with your child - the commute to and from, and breaks. (Consider the number of hours a day smokers spend outside on smoke breaks - surely a parent could justify that much time on "child breaks".) Plus you'd be better able to keep an eye on quality.