English
The age old debate continues about whether or not men should be granted paternity leave after the birth of their child/children. Paternity leave is categorized as leave that is taken by a male after the adoption or birth of a child. In some instances this leave goes unpaid. After the birth of a child, the mother is left with a lot to do, as taking care of a newborn properly is very time consuming. In the first few months after birth, it is especially hard as the baby will be waking up in the wee hours of the morning for their feed. The mother also has to consider, in addition to the sleepless nights, the bath time, laundry, TLC and attention that the child requires. Not to mention if she has additional family members to take care of, cook, do laundry for, etc. It is difficult for her to do all of these things on her own without an adequate amount of rest. Many times, a mother of a newborn will not eat because of the amount of things that she has to do. When the baby sleeps then she will scamper around like a squirrel trying to get her chores done and to prepare for the baby’s awakening. It is necessary for the father or husband to take paternity leave, whether it is paid or not, just to be there to lend support in any way that he can.
Having someone to help with the baby can take a lot of pressure and stress off the mother so that she can spend quality time with the baby and not be irritable or unable to cope because of her lack of sleep. Many fathers are able to bond with their babies in this time as well. Between feeding, burping and putting them to sleep, many bonds have been formed. It is important that a father knows how to make a bottle, feed, burp, nurture and even to give a child a bath. Many do, but not all. They are also useful when the early morning feeding time arrives. They can take the baby for walks or just play with them and soothe them while the mother gets a few minutes or hours of sleep.
It is not many companies that give fathers paid paternity leave, as they think that it is not necessary. Some employers are of the view that fathers are not needed in the beginning of a child’s life because they are not able to recognize them. This is not so, as babies develop attachments from as early as they are born. According to a report out of Harvard University, Papua, New Guinea, USA, Liberia and Swaziland are the only countries worldwide, that will not offer employees payment for maternity leave. The FMLA, or Family and Medical Leave Act stipulates that the Labor Department permitted 14% of men and 18% of women to take approximately 12 weeks leave, unpaid, after the arrival of a baby. This was only for those who worked for companies that had over 50 employees. This is way too little time to meet the demands of a newborn child, or one that is new to your home. Some people are also of the opinion that this should not happen, as men are considered breadwinners for the family. They also think that men should not be paid because it is the woman who felt the pain and discomfort, that men are not considered to be “real men” if they take paternity leave. It has also been said that they only want the time at home to add stress to the situation as they are unaware of what to do if there is a crisis involving a child. Oppositions will come from every angle if someone is not in the situation.
The fact is that men are needed at a crucial time as the birth or adoption of a child and more men are realizing this simple truth and taking action to change it.
Works Cited
"Fact Sheet #28: The Family and Medical Leave Act." US Department of Labor. 2012. 18 Jun. 2014. <http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28.pdf>.
"Policy Matters : Public Policy, Paid Leave for New Parents, and." Houser, PH.d, Linda, and Thomas P. Vartanian, PH.d.. Apr. 2012. 18 Jun. 2014. <http://www.working-families.org/network/pdf/Policy>.
Abel, Katy . "Dads and Paternity Leave." Family Education. 18 Jun. 2014. <http://life.familyeducation.com/working-parents/fa>.
