By Cherrelle Marable–
I attend a university where there are several non-traditional students. There are times when some female students will bring their children to class with them. The days one will most likely see small children on campus are on days when they can’t find a babysitter or on days when those children don’t have school.
Well, yesterday was one of those days. I could not find a babysitter for my child. I only had two classes yesterday. I skipped my first class because it was held in a large lecture hall and would be very difficult to keep a baby quiet during our professor’s lecture. However, I took my child to my last class for the day.
My child and I went to a class where the class size was small and the professor was awesome! I had taken a few of his courses in the past and he allowed my oldest son to attend class with me. The part that makes him awesome is he didn’t even question me on the reason why I had to bring him to class. He even talked to my child, which allowed for him to feel a little more comfortable in a classroom filled with young adults.
I am a young mother trying to pursue a college degree and because I am a mother I will put my children’s needs first. If something comes up and my childeren are not able to attend school or I cannot find a sitter, then I have to do what I can to make it through the day. I have had professors in the past that did not allow children in class. Some professors even suggested I stay home from class. This would be a good suggestion, if they allowed make-up work. However, if the professor is not allowing make-up work of any kind, then it is easy for a parent to fall behind in their schoolwork. Professors who allow children in the class help make a parent’s workload easier for them because they don’t have to worry about missing class.
And of course, if the child starts to act up, common sense would tell the parent to leave the room, so the child does not interrupt the whole class.
For those professors who don’t allow children in their classroom, I understand the reason. However, if a parent cannot come to class and they did not have childcare for that day, I advise you to work with them and not against them. Allow this to be an excused absence or give them a chance to makeup the work. Being a student is hard enough, but being a student and a mother is even harder.
Lastly, let’s not forget the lovely students who embrace young children in the classroom. Not every student likes children. But for the ones who do and go out your way to make a child feel at ease, you are awesome!
