Babies in the Workplace

geared toward that goal--including (and often especially) playing. They explore every aspect of their world so that they can understand it better and handle life as effectively as possible. As a result, babies are fascinated by the activities of other people, and they are motivated to experiment with the tools that other people use.

Most parents these days have seen how fascinated babies and toddlers are with telephones. From an early age, children will try to get hold of their parents' cell phones, push the buttons, and pretend to talk or listen. This sort of thing is how children learn to do things on their own--by watching others, imitating what they see, and experimenting to gather information.

What this means from a practical point of view is that the most effective "toys" you can give your baby while you're trying to
work are often the basic tools of daily

life--such as a comb, a keyboard, a realistic-looking toy cell phone (so your baby doesn't accidentally dial 911, which happens more frequently than you'd think), crumpled office paper, and other things (safe for babies) that your baby sees you use on a regular basis.

Talk to Baby About Work

Babies crave human interaction. Explaining what you're doing while you work can be a great way to keep your baby content while still getting work done. Place your baby on your lap or close by so she can see your face and your work area, and read memos out loud to your baby as you're proofreading them. Pretend that your baby is a trainee and (quietly) explain the nuances of your daily tasks to her. One side benefit of this is that, as you're describing your daily routines out loud, you may well discover more efficient ways to do regular tasks.