I mean..a lot of men don't want it. I would rather work than be home with a screaming newborn all day. My friends and I were talking about this..can you guys STOP campaigning for it I don't want to eventually feel obligated to stay home for 6 weeks.
2007-06-05 17:17:12 · 26 answers · asked by jrawls 2 in Social Science ➔ Gender Studies
I don't think you have to worry..blow up dolls can't get pregnant.
2007-06-05 17:19:38 · answer #1 · answered by GoldenGirl 3 · 10⤊ 2⤋
LOL, well wouldn't you rather have the option to? My husband took off two unpaid weeks with each of our kids, and had a great time. Then he went back to work on a part-time schedule for a few months. Although, he still says "I don't know how you do it all day" after spending too many hours alone with the kiddies. If anything, it will give you a sense of appreciation for your wife. :-)
Seriously, though, if you have access to a paid leave when you have a newborn, take it! They're only tiny once, and it really is great to just spend a few hours marveling at the baby's itty bitty toes. You'll always remember that time - my husband often talks to our son about "when he was very small", and he was actually THERE, so he does remember it.
2007-06-05 17:24:05 · answer #2 · answered by Junie 6 · 9⤊ 0⤋
There may be a lot of reasons, but most feminists believe a father should have equal or at least ample time to bond with their baby, also having the father share in care and feeding etc, is a reasonable expectation.
I raised my son alone from a baby until I remarried when he was three and my daughter was eight. I also helped a lot with her as a baby and saw both born.
I am so glad I was not a distant father and was able to share in these memories and in their nurturing at this age. Many fathers don't see it that way and I think they miss a lot and regret it later. Kids who have a nurturing father tend to be more well adjusted, successful and happy.
It's a great time and they are kids and babies for such a short time that seems to pass all too quickly.
2007-06-05 17:24:41 · answer #3 · answered by rumbler_12 7 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Last time I checked it was 2007. NOT 1807. Get a reality check, and then try and bring Yourself into the modern era. Just because You are not up to the task of being a 'househusband' don't cruel it for those of us who would give anything to be able to have a family and watch Them grow. Children need the love, protection and guidance of BOTH Parents. Perhaps that is beyond the realms of Your comprehension, but it is most certainly the way the 'new age' Father thinks. One day You will wake up and find Yourself in the Harry Chapin song "Cat's in the Cradle", and will regret Your self indulgent choices. If You don't want to feel obligated to staying at home, do You feel in any way obligated to staying around, or are You just too weak to be a Father figure?
2007-06-05 19:14:19 · answer #4 · answered by Ashleigh 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Feminists believe that shared responsibility for child care is a key to equality in the labour market. [ http://www.economist.com/World/europe/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2335623 ]
Failure by men to take paternity leave is hindering closure of the wage gap.
A father who is free to spend time with the child in its most critical stage of development tends to produce a much closer bond to the child and is far more involved in their life. It generally results in a more distributed shared caring of the child.
There is also evidence that fathers who take more responsibility for small children are more likely to stay in contact should the family break up.
"Icelandic parents can take nine months of paid leave for childcare - three for the mother, three for the father and the rest divided up by couples as they see fit.
Traditional ideas of gender roles have been transformed, according to Margret Maria Sigursdottir, director of the Icelandic Gender Equality Centre.
"Now you can see men on the street walking with prams, and that's a new thing, and it's very common here," she said."
2007-06-05 23:10:06 · answer #5 · answered by Nidav llir 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it would be required. There are plenty of men who would love to have the opportunity to be home with their newborn child. If you're the kind of guy who doesn't want to be around a baby, here's an idea...DON'T HAVE ONE.
2007-06-06 09:43:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jarod R you remind me of my neighbor... He wants kids but yet he don't want deal with them... They only times he is around his kids is holidays and when his wife force him to watch his kids...
When the school had a two hour delay, he told his wife that she had to be late for work because he didn't want to watch and I quote "the F***ing kids." He refuse to potty train his own kids, he refuse to teach his kids how to ride bikes, and he freaks out when his other two kids come down and visit him... He goes weight lifting for 5 hours a day... But when she wants to go somewhere he told her that he'll watch them for 30 mins then after that she better be home or he's not keeping an eye on them... But yet he is anti-abortion...
So if you are anti-abortion SHAME ON YOU... Because when your kids get older and you try to punish them they'll look at you and say "you didn't want to be around us before, why start punishing us now..."
Besides being with your newborns when you can will develop a very healthy relationship in the future to where they can come and talk to you... But you won't have that because you don't want to be around them... If you didn't want to be around your own kids, why have them???
WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!!!!
2007-06-09 17:02:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kids are very expensive and make for tons of work. If you're not interested, then get yourself snipped. I sure hope you're not one of those misogynist cranks who prattles on endlessly about child custody....but then again...
'Scandinavia has long had generous parental leave. In Sweden, a couple can take up to 13 months off work between them, with the state paying 80% of lost wages up to a ceiling of SKr24,562 ($3,425) a month. A further 90 days can be taken for a token sum. The leave can be used in a block, or taken in batches before the child is eight. It is notionally divided 50-50 but, except for two months, it can be transferred between the parents. Other countries are less generous, though even Britain offers two weeks of paid paternity leave…
The [Swedish] government sympathises. It is impressed by evidence that fathers who take more responsibility for small children are more likely to stay in contact should the family break up. A commission is looking into ways to increase fathers' take-up of parental leave.'
2007-06-05 17:30:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 3⤋
No worries, kid. It's not like anyone's campaigning to make it mandatory. We just want it to be an option. It may seem hard to believe, but there are a lot of men out there who'd love to spend more time with their kids, and plenty of women who would love to get away from theirs and get back to work.
2007-06-05 17:21:20 · answer #9 · answered by Zus 2 · 7⤊ 0⤋
There are many women don't like it also, but they are forced and feel forced the same as you would. Also, for many women, the maternity leave means neglecting the career and professional development, so when hey get back to their jobs, they have problems to integrate again. Taking the equal responsibilities would be just fair.
2007-06-06 04:11:36 · answer #10 · answered by Aurora 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Believe it or not, there are men who LIKE children. They have just as much rights as women to stay home with their newborns and enjoy the importance of bonding with a new baby, as well as being of help to his wife. If you don't want to stay home-don't, but there are others who would welcome the chance!
2007-06-05 17:23:40 · answer #11 · answered by Lisa V 3 · 7⤊ 0⤋