Licia Ronzulli, European Parliament Member Takes Her Toddler To Work (PHOTO)

You might remember the first photos of Licia Ronzulli taking her daughter to work back in September of 2010. Mom's work was (and still is) representing Italy as a member of European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, and the photo of six-week-old Victoria sleeping in an elaborate snuggly while her mother cast her vote, brought a universal awwwwww as it made its way around the world.

There was so much to love about the series of photos. The adorable dreaming infant, the elegant (if somewhat sleepy-looking) working mother, the innocence of the baby against the backdrop of men in suits -- men who had to be getting the message.

Well, little Victoria is now a toddler, her mother took her to work again this week, and there are more photos. These show the 18-month-old wide-awake on Ronzulli's lap (it should be said that Ronzulli also looks more awake.) The little girl plays with her mother's translation headphones, and her cell phone. Victoria rises alongside Mom when she stands to speak, then raises her hand in tandem to cast a vote.

If you cooed at the last photos, there is even more to love about these. One can imagine the conversation that led to them -- the sitter was sick, or Victoria's father was called out of town, or daycare closed unexpectedly, and Ronzulli did what a mother does and made it work. And what a message for a little girl: that her mother is her mother; but she also makes laws and things; and isn't that fun?

(AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Comments

[Acey Sieffert]

04:25 PM on 04/26/2012

Uh--all of you cranky posters: did the fact that she was trying to make a statement escapped you? She did this two years ago when Victoria was just seven weeks old. It wasn't because she couldn't find daycare (I was born in Strasbourg, the EU institutions have an excellent daycare system), or to draw attention on herself, but rather to draw attention on the fact that society makes it increasingly hard--as in backlash harder--for working moms to sustain a career and be moms.

I gotta say, this was a courageous statement, but it would impress me even more if it had been a single dad doing this to raise awareness on the difficulties of single-parents, or a regular dad to draw attention to the biased binary gender system we have, and how incredibly difficult it is for dads to take post-natal time off/or even to realize that they should maybe invest themselves more into childcare.

For a "modern" society, I find it unbelievably annoying that people still think it's normal for a woman to sacrifice her career to her motherhood, or even to her husband's. THAT's what this was about, and I feel sincerely sorry for Licia that it has been interpreted as being ridiculous.

BTW, PS: I disapprove by large of her political affiliations, as I hate Berlusconi, but that doesn't mean her point isn't valid, and shouldn't, at the least, be discussed.

[jillcozyowl]

01:46 PM on 02/27/2012

These are not only adorable pictures, they are also hugely inspirational.

I am a big proponent of taking my daughters to work. It is important for them to see where I go each day and what I do. And it is also important (to me) that my colleagues see that I am a whole person, a mom, and I still do great work (just like my male colleagues who are Dads).

The other day, my 5 year old asked me what happened at work when she wasn't there. "I work," I said. "Yes, but who does all the connect the dots for you when I'm not there?" she asked. Ah. Play, a child's work. I conceded that there was now a back-log and suggested she come in again soon to help out.

-Jill
www.cozyowl.com

[justdrinkacoke]

11:03 AM on 02/23/2012

I work from home as an editor and lifestyle blogger, and my toddler is usually doing just what we see above while I'm working, too... sitting in my lap. You just have to embrace what you have in life and go with it. We live. We work. We parent. You can't turn off one role and turn on another. Those things are really never independent of each other, and sometimes they just downright collide with one another, and you just make the best of it and embrace it for what it is.

Miranda
www.justdrinkacoke.com

[vmrs]

10:06 PM on 02/21/2012

Yep JUST what I want.

Scenario of the parents taking their kids to work: Calling up my doctors nurse to talk about a serious medical condition. While talking a child is screaming crying in the background and the nurse can't pay attention to me because of the kid crying. EXACTLY WHAT I WANT!

No way would I ever take my child to work. It is NOT a place for a child!

[ktsmom9]

11:57 AM on 03/04/2012

Assuming YOUR child is a screaming brat, I don't blame you for not wanting to take your child anywhere at all in public.

Some of us raised our children very differently, and have no such troubles.

[vmrs]

10:33 PM on 03/06/2012

Regardless if they are well behaved work IS NOT a place for a child. There is a reason why it is called work and there is a reason for day care.

[Fonsini]

01:52 PM on 02/21/2012

Any job that you can bring a baby to isn't a job - hence it working well for politicians.

[Etown82]

09:36 PM on 02/21/2012

Are you SERIOUS?!

[Nasirah10]

11:20 PM on 02/21/2012

Disagree

[fromdnorth]

08:38 PM on 02/20/2012

Right winger in Canada have a difficult time with babies.

Look at the comments... CZ the diminutive of CraZy

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/16/baby-parliament-ban_n_1282976.html

[gfgarv]

03:49 PM on 02/20/2012

Dad'd bring their kids to work because they want to. They want to let the child see what they do and maybe the child will follow in his footsteps.
Moms bring their kids to work because they couldn't find a sitter.

[Lawson Meadows]

01:42 PM on 02/21/2012

gfgarv,

Cute... however, you discount moms who want their kids to see what they do at work, and fathers who are stuck with no sitter.

In either case, I certainly hope neither parent takes a child to work with the sole intent being to have them follow in their footsteps... kids should walk their own path.

Lawson

[Andy Pettit]

09:01 AM on 02/20/2012

Isn't the point that no men have to take their children to work? This picture is a great comment on sexism today, although a little unrealistic as most working class women don't even get the option of taking their child to work, and must take time off or find a friend/relative to look after their children.

[EStreetShuffler]

11:19 AM on 02/20/2012

Andy, let's not be too quick to generalize.

I'm a dad and I have had my kids at work many times. I often had to bring them along when I was a reporter covering school board meetings. My wife would stop by after she finished work to bring them home.

I have also seen kids with their dads in a variety of locations, whether it's the neighborhood pizza place or an insurance agency or even a service job. There's a pool guy who works for some of our neighbors and I occasionally see him with his young son making the rounds.

Moms and dads alike frequently have to get resourceful to make jobs and family work out okay.

[offred]

02:32 PM on 02/19/2012

The gray-haired guy next to her (the one with the scarf) is kinda hot...

[gra8whit]

02:39 PM on 02/20/2012

I knew somebody was going the make a comment about the silver fox sitting next to her. Oh, I just re-read some of Atwood's book and I'm gonna tell Fred what you wrote!:-)

[offred]

06:45 PM on 02/20/2012

Oh, no! He'll send me to the Colonies!

[alilje]

02:08 PM on 02/19/2012

Once again, proof that women are the best multi-taskers...

[NotMyBirthday21]

02:50 PM on 02/19/2012

100% true.

[gra8whit]

02:41 PM on 02/20/2012

I don't know about that, but you ladies do a lot.

[ConcettaBruce]

09:03 PM on 02/20/2012

Thank your mom :)

[Dolores de Cabeza]

01:51 PM on 02/19/2012

Despite being a personal friend of Berlusconi´s and a member of his fascist party, Licia has made a good point. I´ll grant her that.

[Seven Teenatheart]

01:47 PM on 02/19/2012

What a fun story.
I've been fortunate, my son has come to work with me during daycare emergencies since he was four and a half months old.
He's fourteen now, and everyone knows him at the office. Many of my friends have not been so lucky.
Not every company is so flexible.

[Alemi14]

01:22 PM on 02/19/2012

Unfortunately, that is not often an option in the U.S. due to others inability to make their children mind. Meanwhile, those of us who actually have well behaved children aren't able to bring them in on the very rare occasion that dad is working out of town and, say, daycare is closed for President's Day.

[eXpresso]

01:20 PM on 02/19/2012

what a cutie!
and the little girl is adorable too!

[phal4875]

01:24 PM on 02/19/2012

Fanned. I agree with your perfect comment.

[Lawson Meadows]

01:47 PM on 02/21/2012

Fanned, I agree with your perfect mini-bio :)

[JBS]

01:16 PM on 02/19/2012

The irony is she lives where there is affordable child care. She only took the little girl to work with her because she wanted to.

She didn't HAVE to; she didn't put her job at risk by doing so, and she didn't have to choose between her job and her child.