News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up? by webmaven on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @08:56PM (#13826150)
> having them in your lap during a conference call is over the line imo.

You do understand that sometimes the alternative to the kid sitting quietly in their parent's lap is the kid screaming their head off on the other side of the home office door, right?

Personally, I'll take the kid sitting in the parent's lap as being the lesser by far of two annoyances, thanks.

Re:Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up? by randlet on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @09:25PM (#13826359)
"screaming their head off on the other side of the home office door"

Whoever is looking after the child should not be allowing them to sit outside the office door and scream! If you're home alone with a kid, you shouldn't be taking conference calls (except under emergency situations e.g. sick kid + critical call).

Re:Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up? by webmaven on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @09:52PM (#13826513)
> If you're home alone with a kid, you shouldn't be taking conference calls

Right, so only people in two-caregiver households get to work from home. Got it.

Everybody up and down this thread who is assuming that there even is another caregiver needs to check their privilege.

I am not a parent myself, but I have been on conference calls where a colleague tried to keep a child out of their home office for a few minutes (like, for the part of the call when it was their turn to give an update) and it blew up in their face. Just let the kid sit in your lap already, it's fine.

Re:Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up? by randlet on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @10:21PM (#13826653)
Sorry but I don't believe you can look after your kid all day and work from home at the same time. It's not a matter of privilege, it's a matter of practicality. If you have a full time job, you need childcare whether you work in your home or out of it. I don't think that's particularly controversial.

edit: If it lends any weight to my opinion, I guess I could also point out I work from home and that that despite your assumption I've been the only parent for two children <= 5 years old for the last 9 weeks.

Re:Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up? by webmaven on Thursday March 09, 2017 @10:35AM (#13829940)
> If you have a full time job, you need childcare whether you work in your home or out of it. I don't think that's particularly controversial.

The need isn't particularly controversial, the availability and affordability is.

Re:Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up? by randlet on Thursday March 09, 2017 @04:44PM (#13834016)
I guess I'm not sure what your argument is then. Yes childcare can be tough to find and it can be very expensive depending on where you live, but if you're saying its okay to hold a full time remote job and care for your child at the same time, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I dont' think that would be fair to your child or your employer.
Re:Ask HN: Developers with kids, how do you skill up? by webmaven on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @04:59PM (#13934903)
I am not saying it is "okay", I am saying that sometimes there is no other option. Life happens, people cope the best they can, and sometime the reasonable compromise is going to be to let the kid sit on their parent's lap for the duration of a conference call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ojvk-4IcOE