General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Women should NOT be economically penalized for bearing children and caring for their families. [View all]antigone382
(3,682 posts)This should include child bearing, child rearing, and care taking, as well as other things I may not be thinking of. As far as who should do it, I am more in favor of such things being tied to the government than to employment, since our society requires that a certain number of people be unemployed even in the best of times--some of those people are going to be pregnant women. However, I'm not asserting that this would hands-down be the best arrangement.
I certainly think that such time should be available to men as well; there are certain European nations that have paternity leave as well as maternity leave and I think that is a fair and humane choice for both genders. For one thing, I think the pressures of the "ladder of success" are disproportionately placed on men, and that this is a factor in shorter life expectancy.
I think that is a key thing, as well; our current gender arrangements place disproportionate burdens on both men and women, to the detriment of both. I don't think of it as a zero-sum game where men have to give up quality of life in order for women to gain it.
P.S., congratulations and best of luck to your daughter!