We were so lucky that the policy at my husband's workplace changed while I was pregnant with my third - it went from 2 weeks paternity leave to 6 months that could be taken flexibly over an 18 month period.
I wish more workplaces would offer the same, because I have too many friends thrown back in the deep end of parenting after just a few weeks of support from their partners. It's harsh.
Not a dad and I'm glad you wrote this. As I read this, it makes me wonder the role of father in the home in these countries that offer paternity leave. I have some friends whose husbands/partners aren't as active in the home and with the children and I wonder if it's a systemic issue that starts from the absence of paternity leave offered in our country.
I agree 100% and in addition to providing it we need to promote and encourage it from all levels of leadership by leading by example. I remember hearing when the Japanese government began providing leave for fathers that no one took it so they needed to do a campaign to normalize leave in the workplace.
With our last, my husband was able to stay home for 3 weeks bc of several years of unused PTO. But with our others, not nearly as much. What irks me the most is your point about needing babies to keep society going, and yet so little support for those having them!
We were so lucky that the policy at my husband's workplace changed while I was pregnant with my third - it went from 2 weeks paternity leave to 6 months that could be taken flexibly over an 18 month period.
I wish more workplaces would offer the same, because I have too many friends thrown back in the deep end of parenting after just a few weeks of support from their partners. It's harsh.
Australia btw
Not a dad and I'm glad you wrote this. As I read this, it makes me wonder the role of father in the home in these countries that offer paternity leave. I have some friends whose husbands/partners aren't as active in the home and with the children and I wonder if it's a systemic issue that starts from the absence of paternity leave offered in our country.
I agree 100% and in addition to providing it we need to promote and encourage it from all levels of leadership by leading by example. I remember hearing when the Japanese government began providing leave for fathers that no one took it so they needed to do a campaign to normalize leave in the workplace.
At least we get a discount on our caskets here in the USA! Oh wait no, that would be too generous.
With our last, my husband was able to stay home for 3 weeks bc of several years of unused PTO. But with our others, not nearly as much. What irks me the most is your point about needing babies to keep society going, and yet so little support for those having them!
This is crazy...How are we so backwards as a country on this?