Conservatives are in an uproar over Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg taking time off for paternity leave. So now I think is a good time to talk about parental leave.
It's a shame that we Americans live in a country where there's this idea that only women should get parental leave, and even then that they should only get unpaid parental leave. For a country that claims to care so much about children (I'm looking at you Right-wing party who tries to pass themselves off as the party of family values), we sure don't care about children.
Men and women should get equal amounts of parental leave. And there's many reasons for this:
#1. It gives men a chance to bond with their children. Yes, men need to bond with their kids. I know that the neanderthals think that men should never show emotion and that being a father is nothing more than putting food on a table, and maybe teaching them to drive when they reach 16. But bonding at such a young age is an IMPORTANT part of childhood development. And it's an important part of the parents lives. Many dads miss out on this chance because they aren't able to take time off work.
#2. It gives mom a break. Taking care of a baby is a lot of hard work. I know people think "Babies sleep all the time! They aren't that much trouble!" (Usually it's men who have never really taken care of a baby full time are the ones who think this. And I just have to ask: Why aren't they offering free babysitting services if it's so easy?) Splitting the role between both parents (and yes, this includes gay couples who adopt!) makes the job easier on both of them.
#3. It makes the workplace more fair. Women don't have to worry about competing with a disadvantage of 'maternity leave', which has been pervasive in our country. And Men don't have to worry about not being able to take off work to help with their family.
#4. It's fair. And we should strive to be fair.
Our work culture is so incredibly toxic, where we're expected to put our jobs above our families. Above ourselves. Time is an incredibly valuable resource. When I had my kids, I was fortunate to have a husband who was able to take time off from his work to help me take care of them. Contrary to popular belief, time off after having a kid isn't just about recovering from pregnancy (which does take time). It's also about the kids. And about the parents. Instead of being upset that Pete Buttigieg gets more parental leave than I do -- I'm upset that we don't get as much time as we should. In other countries, they provide more time -- and unsurprisingly, they're still doing okay.
It's a shame that we Americans live in a country where there's this idea that only women should get parental leave, and even then that they should only get unpaid parental leave. For a country that claims to care so much about children (I'm looking at you Right-wing party who tries to pass themselves off as the party of family values), we sure don't care about children.
Men and women should get equal amounts of parental leave. And there's many reasons for this:
#1. It gives men a chance to bond with their children. Yes, men need to bond with their kids. I know that the neanderthals think that men should never show emotion and that being a father is nothing more than putting food on a table, and maybe teaching them to drive when they reach 16. But bonding at such a young age is an IMPORTANT part of childhood development. And it's an important part of the parents lives. Many dads miss out on this chance because they aren't able to take time off work.
#2. It gives mom a break. Taking care of a baby is a lot of hard work. I know people think "Babies sleep all the time! They aren't that much trouble!" (Usually it's men who have never really taken care of a baby full time are the ones who think this. And I just have to ask: Why aren't they offering free babysitting services if it's so easy?) Splitting the role between both parents (and yes, this includes gay couples who adopt!) makes the job easier on both of them.
#3. It makes the workplace more fair. Women don't have to worry about competing with a disadvantage of 'maternity leave', which has been pervasive in our country. And Men don't have to worry about not being able to take off work to help with their family.
#4. It's fair. And we should strive to be fair.
Our work culture is so incredibly toxic, where we're expected to put our jobs above our families. Above ourselves. Time is an incredibly valuable resource. When I had my kids, I was fortunate to have a husband who was able to take time off from his work to help me take care of them. Contrary to popular belief, time off after having a kid isn't just about recovering from pregnancy (which does take time). It's also about the kids. And about the parents. Instead of being upset that Pete Buttigieg gets more parental leave than I do -- I'm upset that we don't get as much time as we should. In other countries, they provide more time -- and unsurprisingly, they're still doing okay.
The whole tone of Church teaching in regard to woman is, to the last degree, contemptuous and degrading. - Elizabeth Cady Stanton
