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Introduction on paternity leave
Introduction on paternity leave
Essay about paid maternity leave in the us
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Paternity leave
It is well known that when a family has a child, the soon-to-be mother goes on maternity leave. Most soon-to-be mothers get approximately nine to twelve weeks off of work when having a child. But what we do not actually think about is whether a new father should get time off as well.
Having a child is just as stressful on the mother-to-be as it is on the father-to-be. This is an up and coming issue in today’s society. Now that millennials, or our current generation of young adults are growing up, they are starting to push this idea in the work place because very few companies offer paid leave for new fathers. “Most fathers end up taking off two to three days of either sick or vacation time when having a child and this is not
As reported by Deseret News, there was a study that occurred at the University of Austin Texas that did a report on how fathers felt about staying at home. During this study they found that “An increasing amount of men are shifting their ideas about what it means to be a ‘provider’ and most of those we surveyed seemed very content in their new role” (Desert News). This illustrations that the fathers are able to set work aside and focus on a roll of being a caretaker and be happy with it. There are many beneficial impacts on a man’s health. According to Fitpregnancy, “Women whose husbands take time off right away are less likely to be depressed three months post-birth” (Fitpregnancy). This is not the only issue that it can solve. Work alone can be stressful at times. Everyone needs a break from their boss and the work they do on a daily basis. Going on paternity leave allows fathers to get the break they desperately need. According to Care at Work, “Research indicates that companies willing to provide this type of benefit, as well as more flexibility overall, have more loyal employees, better staff retention and higher productivity levels” (Care at Work). This shows how a father taking paternity leave can be both profitable for both the workers and the employers. Being able to leave as well as this knowledge will provide comfort to the
This confidence does not occur over night. It is no secret that dads have a negative stereotype when it comes to raising a baby. Countless films depict fathers useless when it comes to changing diapers or calming a screaming child. Being present for the first few weeks in a child’s life will give the father the confidence he needs to take care of the child when the mother is absent. Deseret News recorded that “Taking care of the family and raising the kids in the right ways will give dad an extra pat on the back, telling him that he did right by his family” (Desert News). Allowing the father to take care of them will make him feel like he did a good job raising them at the end of the day, even if he had to do it without
This policy allows working couples to choose how they balance their work and parenting commitment to their new baby. The first two weeks are reserved for the mother but the remaining fifty weeks can be shared between both parents (Glegg, Swinson, 2013).This will definitely give chance to fathers to bond with their infants on an equal footing with the mother. Sarkadi, et al (2007) also suggests that policies should be made that fathers of young children may choose to do part time jobs so they can have time with their
If you and your significant other had a child, would you want to be there to not only support your partner, but to see your child’s first milestones in real life? Of course you would! The problem is most parents miss crucial parts of their child’s life because of the lack of paid maternity and paternity leave in the United States. New families, across the nation, should be allowed a minimum six months of paid maternity leave.
Family leave has many benefits to children and the family. Rossin (2011) states, “[family] leave may affect the amount of time a child spends with his mother rather than in non-maternal care. [family] leave will also affect the quality of time the child spends with the mother, depending on changes to her stress level and her satisfaction with the trajectory of her career. The quantity and quality of time a mother spends with her child in his first year of life matter for the child's well-being”
The United States is one of three industrialized countries that do not have policies put in place that mandate companies to provide paid parental leave. In 1993, U.S President, Bill Clinton, enacted the family and medical leave act (FMLA) which allows for employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for up to twelve weeks for medical reasons if their employer has more than fifty employees employed at the company. Later on in January of 2015, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that entitles federal employees for up to six weeks of paid sick days to take care of a newborn child or an adopted child. Currently there are only three states in the United States with paid parental leave policies which are California, New Jersey and Rhode Island. As of right now, only those employers who
With no pay and the risk of losing their jobs--if additional time is requested--parents return to work in as little as two weeks after the birth of a child. This results in the absence of one or both parents during the most crucial part of a child’s life—the first year of life. Ultimately, it is the children who will suffer. The events that take place in the early years of a child life, as well as the people that surround, will influence who they become. Children need love and guidance from their parents. Babies can learn so much, parents have the time to teach them and watch them grow. It is their duty as well as their rights as parents to enjoy the first moments of life with their children. Susan J. Douglas says, “The first five years of life are so crucial to cognitive and emotional development” (Douglas Par 8). Parents often send their babies to daycare at too young of an age because they are expected to return to work and have no other choice. Others quit their job because they do not want their babies to go to daycare. This creates a financial strain on families and has lasting effects on the newborn and other young children in the home. Sharon Lerner says, “Paid parental leave frees mothers and fathers from choosing between their careers and time with their infants” (Lerner 20). Paid family leave alleviates a great deal of stress for parents who are expecting. It makes starting a family less frightening because families have enough money and time to adjust with their new lives before returning to work. This makes workers less likely to call out of upon returning and more likely to be focused on the
The Family and Medical Aid Act (FLMA), of 1993, provides for 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave for certain specified events (8). Whilst one could refer to this as maternity or paternity leave if taken because of a pregnancy, this would not be strictly true. Where maternity and paternity leave are offered around the world, they are separate from any other leave due to medical or family reasons. The leave in the U.S. provided through the FLMA is also, as mentioned, unpaid. This creates a number of issues for the expectant family as, regardless of their job being safe for the time taken off, without the income it may be harder to look after the new born child as a couple of unpaid parents, than one parent not taking leave, or neither taking leave and relying on relatives to care for the child as much as possible.
good parenting abilities are vital to maintain a viable relationship with children. The value of a father in
The number one reason seems to be buried in the fact that men and women are told from a very young age that it is not the father’s job or responsibility to be the primary caregiver for their children, even if they are more fit for the position than the mother. Stay at home fathers are seen as “less competent, less affectionate toward children, and less involved in tending to physical needs of children” (Fischer, & Anderson, 2012 p. 17). This results in the belief that stay at home fathers are not fit to be primary caregivers for their children. The stigma that men cannot be good at taking on this position is also seen in reports that fathers receive negative responses for defying this gender role. Most of which comes from stay at home mothers according to Rochlen, Mckelley, and Whittaker’s 2010 study about stay at home fathers. Our society also holds unrealistic expectation of these men. Mostly, they are seen as more feminine, therefore can be considered less of a man. This leads to the belief that they no longer participate or even enjoy activities that are considered masculine. Even though these men are seen as less masculine, they are also seen as unable to offer the proper amount of emotional support and nurturance that their children may need. According to Fischer, and Anderson (2012), “men who are stay at home fathers have similar levels of masculine and feminine
Imagine you were pregnant, When you gave birth to your child, the only maternity leave you received was a month’s worth of vacation and sick time. And when you went to return to work, you found your job no longer existed. Since your employer was a small company, it didn’t have to go by federal laws that require 12 weeks of job protection after birth. This story is fictional, but it is real for so many. In America, there is no federal mandated paid maternity leave and that is hurting our women and our children by causing the miracle of birth to be masked by the all too real cost of no paid maternity leave.
Dr. Haim Ginott, a renowned Psychologist, mentor and a teacher once remarked, “Children are like wet cement; whatever falls on them makes an impression.” Thus, the effects of absent fathers on children may in fact, shape their perception of the world around them. Even though developing a stronger relationship with one parent is an effect of absenteeism fathers, it also comes with the challenges of engaging in early sexual activities, diminished cognitive development and poor school performance, which are effects exhibited by many daughters.
This normalcy can be negative or positive and is normally hindered by the presence of supportive and engaging parents first and foremost. Children learn from their surroundings because it is what they grow accustomed to. Children do not know anything else other than what they were taught and trained to know as being normal in their lives and this is where they gain their worldview of what to perceive. That is why it is important to have a father present in the household because it vital to a child’s development. Studies show that if a child 's father is affectionate, supportive, and involved, he can contribute greatly to the child 's cognitive, language, and social development, as well as academic achievement, a strong inner core resource, sense of well-being, good self-esteem, and authenticity (Gross 2014). Therefore, having a father in the home is beneficial to the child’s development and wellbeing. However, there are some fathers who are in the child’s life, but really they are not present for the child. An absent father can mean different things like being physically there, but not actually being involved in the care of the child. It can also mean that the father is not being present for the child when they know that they are the child’s father. It can also be the result a father’s death,
Men have the same rights and obligations, as a child’s birth mother, to spend quality time, bond with, and care for a new baby. With some families living isolated from close relatives, it may be difficult for the mother’s family to support her after the birth of the child. “A study released in January found that fathers who took two or more weeks of leave upon their child's birth are more likely to be involved in the direct care of their children beyond leave” (Gringleburg). The time proceeding childbirth is the most stressful and tedious time. Parents have to adjust to the new baby and his or her schedule, especially the mother. With the both parents home, a lot of the stress is taken off the mother be...
The role of a father is more than just another parent at home (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father, the male biological parent in a child’s life is important because it brings a different type of parenting that cannot be replicated by anyone else (Stanton, 2010). Fathers who are present and active in a child’s life provide great benefits to a developing child (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father brings a different kind of love. The love of the father is more expectant and instrumental, different from the love of a mother (Stanton, as cited in Pruett, 1987).
About 75 percent of the 68 million women working in the United States will become pregnant at some point in their careers. Women with children are one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. labor force. In 1975, 47% of women with children under the age of 18 were employed; by 2008, this number grew to a notable 71% (Miner et al. 60. The nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Compared to other workers, mothers are often viewed as less competent, less productive, and less committed to their job, which is assumed to result in increased absenteeism and resignation (Byron and Roscigno 5).
... reflected with the likelihood the father is involved and spend time with their children and to have children who are psychologically and emotionally healthier (Parke). Also the mother and father is more responsive, affectionate, and confident with their infants; better know how in dealing with defiant toddlers; and better advising, connecting, and providing emotional support to their teenagers (Parke). Studies have shown children with involved, caring fathers have better educational outcomes. For instance, a study shows that fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful with their children tend to have children with higher IQs, better linguistic and cognitive capacities (Parke). Lastly, the children through their adulthood are more patient and can handle the stresses and frustrations associated with schooling better than children with less involved fathers (Parke).