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Taking kids on a business trip?


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I have a week long business trip to another country next month that I have to go on.

 

I'm thinking of bringing my daughter with me. They have a really good daycare center at the place we'd be staying, she would do her schoolwork there while I'm in meetings and conferences during the first half of the day and then we could spend the rest of the day together exploring and seeing new things.

 

I've never been away from her for a whole week, plus I think it would be a really nice experience for her.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it actually harder than it seems and am I setting myself up for a total disaster?

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Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it actually harder than it seems and am I setting myself up for a total disaster?

 

If I recall correctly, your daughter isn't a toddler, closer to pre-teen?

 

I've done this many times, but my wife was the "daycare". Just make sure you're careful about the accounting, sounds like a great way to see a new place...

 

Mr. Lucky

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Sounds like a great idea, I would probably do the same thing with my daughter. Just one (big) concern: can you trust this daycare place? That’s the only thing I’d be concerned about, I never know if you can trust those hotel/resort daycares but then again I’ve never used one myself.

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It depends on what happens on business trips. Like all the ones I've been on, our time was scheduled not just during the day but entertainment at night, and NO, kids were not welcome.

 

On the other hand, if this is a trip where you're alone and YOU have total control over your schedule and don't have any obligations to entertain at night or whatever and are not staying with other business clients or coemployees at the same hotel, then fine. No one should know about it though. Don't try to bring her if there's other employees at the hotel or business clients. It's unprofessional and will be talked about.

 

The only time I ever knew anyone who brought a child on a business trip, he owned the company and was traveling with me, a young devastatingly attractive temptress, and I bet his wife insisted....We did not stay at the same hotel. He rented me a convertible and a hotel on Malibu Beach. Only saw him at one event and on the way to and from on the plane.

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If I recall correctly, your daughter isn't a toddler, closer to pre-teen?

 

Yes, she'll be 8 in March.

 

Sounds like a great idea, I would probably do the same thing with my daughter. Just one (big) concern: can you trust this daycare place? That’s the only thing I’d be concerned about, I never know if you can trust those hotel/resort daycares but then again I’ve never used one myself.

 

I mean, it's a really good hotel, I'm guessing they have a good daycare service? I don't expect many kids to be there and my daughter will mostly be doing schoolwork there and be looked after, she's fairly independent.

 

It depends on what happens on business trips. Like all the ones I've been on, our time was scheduled not just during the day but entertainment at night, and NO, kids were not welcome.

 

On the other hand, if this is a trip where you're alone and YOU have total control over your schedule and don't have any obligations to entertain at night or whatever and are not staying with other business clients or coemployees at the same hotel, then fine. No one should know about it though. Don't try to bring her if there's other employees at the hotel or business clients. It's unprofessional and will be talked about.

 

The only time I ever knew anyone who brought a child on a business trip, he owned the company and was traveling with me, a young devastatingly attractive temptress, and I bet his wife insisted....We did not stay at the same hotel. He rented me a convertible and a hotel on Malibu Beach. Only saw him at one event and on the way to and from on the plane.

 

I actually will be with two other co-workers of mine, but no clients. Is it really seen as unprofessional?

 

I'm guessing there may be some entertainment at night, but nothing mandatory or scheduled, so I'm not in any way obligated to be there. My job isn't really about networking or anything like that.

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I think so, yes. It's a business trip. Do you have a boss? If so, ask if it's allowed. Maybe if they have kids, they'll be sympathetic. For example, you're already talking about ducking out of the entertainment at night, and companies do that to build rapport with their customers, so you shouldn't do that. You should be there for it, just you.

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Eternal Sunshine

Important part of those trips are also hanging out at night and bonding with your colleagues. I don’t understand why you just don’t take your kid on a holiday later.

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Personally, I would think it was unprofessional if a colleague brought their kid with them on a business trip.

 

However, I think it also depends on the purpose of the trip, your colleague's

and boss's expectations, and the culture at your company. Is this something others have done? It seems like you should be at least socializing or attending some of the evening events (even if just dinner with your colleagues) and not just skipping out on them to be with your child every night.

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I think so, yes. It's a business trip. Do you have a boss? If so, ask if it's allowed. Maybe if they have kids, they'll be sympathetic. For example, you're already talking about ducking out of the entertainment at night, and companies do that to build rapport with their customers, so you shouldn't do that. You should be there for it, just you.

 

Well, I kind of am the boss. I do have higher ups, but I currently run my department and me and two other colleagues who also run their departments are going to one of our international units for certain meetings.

 

The trip is planned and organized by us and the people in the international office. So technically, I don't need to run it past anyone, especially since I would be paying for my daughter's plane ticket and hotel stay.

 

Again, there will be no customers or clients, just us and I don't really see a need for any networking or socializing, we're there purely for business.

 

I mean, I don't really see a need to bond with my co-workers at night and drinking, I find that to be a little bit unprofessional. I'd rather be with my daughter.

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Mrs._December
I've never been away from her for a whole week.....

I'm getting the impression that this is the REAL motivation for you thinking that taking your kid on a business trip with you is a good idea. Jeez, it ONE week, not a year. You'll survive.

 

I completely agree with Clia - that's as unprofessional as it gets.

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I used to go on business trips with my father when I was roughly the same age, he used to travel around the country to visit the stores he managed, I used to go along for the ride and wait in the car when he was busy with his store owners. It was great! His boss knew and didn't mind at all.

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I'm getting the impression that this is the REAL motivation for you thinking that taking your kid on a business trip with you is a good idea. Jeez, it ONE week, not a year. You'll survive.

 

I completely agree with Clia - that's as unprofessional as it gets.

 

It's part of the reason, yes.

 

I mean, my co-workers will barely even see her, I'm not taking her to work with me, she'd be in daycare while we are in meetings and working, and when we're finished we'll have the rest of the time off. They may plan dinners or drinks, but purely to entertain themselves, it's nothing I have to attend or benefit from attending.

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littleblackheart

While this sounds great on paper, stuff with kids very rarely pan out as you imagined, especially abroad.

 

Have you got a backup plan in case your daughter gets sick during a work meeting? Not saying she will, but you need to consider all options.

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While this sounds great on paper, stuff with kids very rarely pan out as you imagined, especially abroad.

 

Have you got a backup plan in case your daughter gets sick during a work meeting? Not saying she will, but you need to consider all options.

 

I guess that's the only thing I'm worried about, but she is hardly ever sick so I doubt that she'll suddenly get sick now. Plus, even if she got sick at home and I'm in another country, I'd probably go crazy with worry.

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littleblackheart
Plus, even if she got sick at home and I'm in another country, I'd probably go crazy with worry.

 

She'd have someone she knows looking after her.

 

Daycare will ring you and you'll have to collect her and keep her with you (from experience of having kids who only ever fall sick at the most awkward of times...).

 

If that helps, I've had to leave my kids with my (delighted) parents for work for a week - they all had a ball.

 

Regardless, it looks like you have thought it through and have made your mind up.

 

Enjoy :)

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All of my business trips are usually 12 to 14 hour days. We meet at breakfast in the hotel, drive to the site, work all day and then the company usually takes us to dinner. I wouldn’t take my kids on my trips because they are so unpredictable.

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Sure. Line up day care and get all school assignments ahead so she can accomplish the work she will miss while you’re away.

 

Plan time with her each day while you aren’t in your meetings.

 

Set up time to see the area you visit and show her what is interesting about that area.

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All of my business trips are usually 12 to 14 hour days. We meet at breakfast in the hotel, drive to the site, work all day and then the company usually takes us to dinner. I wouldn’t take my kids on my trips because they are so unpredictable.

 

I guess it depends on the profession - we'll probably start sometime in the morning and be done by 3 or 4 pm. I mean, if it goes longer than that she can always stay in the daycare, I'll make sure she has all her schoolwork in advance and books and entertainment.

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What does your daughter think? Does she want to hang out in a daycare all day or would she rather keep her normal schedule and go to school? TBH, I'd be nervous leaving my almost 8 year old alone (or even in a daycare) in another country, no matter how independent she is.

 

My daughter (14) and I sometimes tag along with my husband on his trips. However, we keep ourselves busy during the day while he's working, and might have dinner together. He will try to plan his travel schedule by a long weekend or use a few vacation days for when his work is done so he gets a quick vacay out of it as well.

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