A load of bollocks!
Last night I watched a newsreader explaining, with the use of overhead graphics, new proposals for paternity leave and pay. So bringing men more in line with womens' maternity rights.
I was totally gobsmacked by what I was seeing and hearing!
Will the powers that be soon be proposing that we share the pregnancy and birth too? Come on now, fair is fair, if they propose that they have almost equal leave and pay status, then let's share the contractions, the nausea, the episiotomy and stitches too! After all, fair's fair!
I am almost apoplectic with shock at these misguided do gooders. When will they stop meddling.
The extremes of women's lib - the pressures to go out and work and have it all, as well as look after house and home is for me an inheritance I have not appreciated. Nor have any of my women friends.
I prefer the structure of roles, men; women; knowing our limitations and our boundaries. In the work place I GET IT! But there ARE differences, can't we bloody well accept that fact?
This has really got to stop, I think it's all going too far. All in the name of equality, equal opportunities or political correctness - which was a pretty subjective device to start with, has turned into a political and social nonsense in my view.
Women need time to adjust emotionally and physically after pregnancy and childbirth. Although I know that our maternity rights are of the most generous in the EU, let alone globally. Admittedly 2 weeks leave for our menfolk is a meagre gesture, 8 -12 weeks perhaps more appropriate and more useful in practical and emotional terms.
I just don't think it's realistic to offer equal leave and pay to men, on so many levels.
The day equal maternity pay and leave becomes law should be the day a man has a baby.
That would be about the twelfth of never, then?!
ReplyDeleteLOL.. well said, Saz!
ReplyDeleteSo Saz, when do we start the experiments breeding men with seahorses so they can finally give birth to children? Then they can have the Paternity Leave - Sounds fair enough to me! Great post! xox
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the day when women get paid the same as men for doing the same job. Why should men get equal paternity rights when women don't even get equal on-the-job rights? Absurd. Course things may be different on this side of the Atlantic, but I doubt it. Inequality seems to be a global problem!
ReplyDeleteIf men could have babies, they'd ban it altogether. They would never put up with the pain.
ReplyDeleteToo Funny! I think if men could have babies, I would be glad to go off to work every day!
ReplyDeleteI had two. My darling husband would not have survived the whole process.
In Canada, I think (not sure 'cause we didn't have our first baby here and I was home with second) that men are able to share in maternity leave with their wives. Leave is one year. A man can have six months and the woman six months. The idea is to create stronger bonds in the family and to not detract from any one career. So there you go. We're crazier than you! (Although, I do think it's brilliant.)
ReplyDeleteHi , like your title!
ReplyDeleteHusband, both times, was "allowed" one week off week when our children were born and that was it. But between you and me, he couldn't get back there quick enough!
And like you say, he's hardly going to breastfeed is he xxxx
And that would be when?
ReplyDeleteHell freezes over...
There's a blue moon...
And the cow jumps over it...
I've decided that women had to go for equal rights to begin with ... because their husbands were becoming lazy good for nothing bastards in the first place, trying to get something for nothing. Like getting sex ... but not doing the farmwork!! HAH ... dunna think so bubba
ReplyDeleteHere here!
ReplyDeleteGG
I can't agree. Here in Sweden, parents share parental leave... As we get paid leave for 16 months, there is plenty of time for a mother to work as well as to nurse and do all the rest. After all, kids need to bond with their fathers too.
ReplyDeletelady Fi- I agree dads MUST bond too...but keep their own roles...I'm for drawing a line...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Embee--first get equal pay right, then worry about paternity leave. Though I have to say, if the paternity leave is given so the hubby can be a support to the wife, I'm all for it. As much as possible. As it is here in the U.S., women get such a paltry amount of MATERNITY leave that that's really the first order of business.
ReplyDeleteWow, I really cannot even fathom the situation in Sweden. That would be unspeakably wonderful. I wonder how the rates of postpartum depression compare between countries...but I'm getting OT, sorry. Great post Saz.
I agree with you that many of these new initiatives are just plain loopy and all down to political correctness which is plain evil.
ReplyDeleteHowever ... one way to look at the maternity/paternity leave thing is that if the men are at home with the new Mum they can help with the chores and let her rest more. I was very lucky when I had my boys because OH was working from home, so he could help out as much as I needed, but I pity those who are completely on their own.
I must admit, it's totally impractical though. Sadly.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
ReplyDeleteI was arguing this with someone the other day. I had heard that the law in some state or another was that men were entitled to two months maternity leave and I thought, "&*&$^@##@#@!!!!! Who's paying for this bull%$#T!" Of course, the answer is you and me, one way or another.
Thank you for speaking sense. Unless the Mom is incapacitated in some way, and Dad has to do the job of parenting and needs the time off to do so, no, not a lick of sense to it.
That is really good and interesting post Sazzie, and I agree that it is impractical on so many levels. Not everyone is married to a hands on man about the house type of guy, in fact I would say a great many men when faced with the task of taking over some of the chores a woman has to face in the normal course of any day,would be down at the pub sharpish. So they would be given an 'allowance' and the time off to do what? A couple of weeks changing nappies, cleaning the house and caring for any other children, laundry and cooking, cleaning and school runs? Can you see it happening, I can't? Meanwhile our already over stretched Social Services budget will be crying out for MORE taxes and me boyo will be stretched out on the sofa watching endless TV.
ReplyDeleteApologies to that handful of men who would REALLY be a help. But a whole year off! I think a lot of women would be begging them to go back to work.
Amen to that sistah!
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree! I think men should have the same leave. They should get used to sharing the chldcare and responsibilities right from the begining, that would make all of our lives better. My H went back to work a week after our first was born I was very jelious that his life hadn't changed a bit and distraught that I should be stuck to the sofa for hours on end with my PJ's on, no job and trying to feed a reluctant new born! What I wouldn't have given to have been the one going to work, OR to have had him at home to help and support us for longer.(perhaps I was never cut out for motherhood)
ReplyDeleteSorry this has turned into a rant of sorts!
S x
ahhh suburbia- one week off!> thats bad!
ReplyDeleteLarry was great but selfemployed and took no 'leave' as such but he did work around me, sharing the childcare in the afternoon, after I went back to work for 9 months....I couldn't hack it full-time, so went part time then after second pregnancy stayed away...
If a man is emplyed I agree he should be able to help, but at what cost, most men's jobs cant stay open its unrealistic for both man and woman to take a year off, I think.I woldnt want to share the experience frankly, they were the happiest times when the kids were preschool with just me. I did go a bit mad, but I wouldnt swap it with their Dad.
We are all different I know....and thats good, but in the main I can't see men generally speaking going along with this proposal.
Obviously haven't lived in the UK for a long time as my immediate question was "And who's paying for that"? Same with the suggestion the other day that the government pay grandparents who look after their grandchildren. Hmmm.
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