I absolutely agree.

I'm also glad to see that other people brought up the danger/liability aspect (I mentioned it in enbi's thread, as well); most workplaces--office or otherwise--aren't really kid-safe. If they're old enough to sit in the break room and entertain themselves, that's not such a big deal...but I get the impression that they're pretty young, if coworkers keep getting roped into babysitting during their breaks ("while she finishes her work"...does this mean the kids are affecting the mother's productivity, then?).

In her response, Emily Yoffe says "as long as this situation's not impinging upon your ability to get your work done". Doesn't the fact that this person wrote a letter to Dear Prudence suggest that it *is*...?