I’d like to bring my toddler to work. I never see kids visit, though company policy allows it. Should I be the first or take it as a sign that kids aren’t welcome?

You could also take it as a sign that no one in the office thinks she could get anything done with her kid there. If the policy is that children are welcome, then…children are welcome! Start with a test run: Warn your co-workers that a toddler will be on the premises on such-and-such date. See how people react when they hear the news and if there’s anything you should be sensitive to. They might say, “Oooo, that’s the day important clients are coming to the office—probably not a good time.”

There’s also the possibility everyone will love having your child there—coo and aaahhh, stop by your office to say hi, offer to help watch the little nipper while you take a phone call. And you could end the day thinking: Never again.