Don't you love it when post stirs up the most interesting of comments and responses? It's like it gets our little heads spinning and thinking and I just love it.
Melissa posed a question in her comment on workers rights.
She asked and I quote: "Do you think that if moms were able to stay home longer with paid maternity leave it would change the way our society is headed?"
I would like to think that it would change the way our society is headed only because I WANT to be an optimist but in the pit of my stomach I really feel it wouldn't, only because of human nature and how we often quickly forget what we're fighting for.
I'd like to think that if we did get paid maternity leave it would make us value, women, family and children more than we currently do. I would like to think that it would make some political honchos stop for a minute and think about what all is involved with carrying a child and giving birth and how it doesn't stop once the child is born. But for how long would a political honcho stop and think? A few minutes, a few hours?
If we did get paid for maternity leave would it take a few generations for it to become ingrained and for society to change? Or after a few years would the idea be taken for granted with more expectations?
What do you think?
Me personally I’d still like to move to Sweden, but then I know I’m merely running away from the problem as opposed to being part of the solution.
P.S. I am so behind of reading blogs it's sad...maybe I could get paid blog leave!!! I know, now I'm pushing it right!!!
Personally, and this is going to make a LOT of people mad, I think this is all a woman's fault.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for woman's rights and all that crap, BUT to all those women who demanded to be treated like a man...they took away men's job's.
Back in the 50's, men brought home the bacon so women COULD stay home and raise their children. It's just the way it was. Now, women HAVE to work, b/c there are so many more ppl in the workplace that men are having to compete for good jobs. They are being paid less and not able to being home enough bacon.
That's just my opinion, but I think if more mothers could stay home, it would change society. Then again, everything in America is run by politicians and the press. But at least mothers could instill the values they want into their children instead of having to worry about what the childcare provider and schools are shoving into their impressionable minds while they are at work.
Again, just my opinion...:)Chrissy
But Chrissy here are my 2 cents to your comment.....
ReplyDeleteIf men were to get pregnant they WOULD get paid maternity leave.
Of course I can't prove this but with your comment on women wanting the same rights as men then everything should be the same for men and women not just some things the same.
For example...do you think if MEN had to get mammograms they'd still use the same procedure where it hurts like hell...or do you think they would have changed the procedure and perfected it using sonograms!!! LOL
Wow, that is a great question.
ReplyDeleteHowever, to me, the issue is this. These days, being a "mom" isn't as "prominent" of a position as it was before most of us were born. Think about it, "back in the day", a woman was looked down upon, so to speak, if she worked outside of the home. Her "job" was to be home to take care of her family and home. Nowadays, it's quite the opposite. If you DO NOT work outside your home, you get those "Oh, so YOU don't work" looks. Excuse me! Yes I DO work...and hard I might add.
And until company's look at "motherhood"/"parenting" as a REAL job, we can forget about rights. Sure, I got paid 1/2 my salary when I was out with Jayla. But I'll tell you, HR was on that phone to me 2 weeks before I was due to come back "reminding" me of when I was to come back to work. And if I decided not to come back at that time, they could'nt guarantee my position or my job for that matter.
Anyway, this could go totally off into a new direction...which isn't necessarily bad. But what CAN we do? What WOULD we do? I just wonder how much money businesses are losing when these emotional women come back to work after being on leave for while, and we leave early because we're too emotional to work? :-)
Too bad everyone can't work for a company like B.E.M, where you can bring your child to work. Wouldn't be so bad then...I wouldn't guess.
That's funny, about the mammogram. I hate that word. It's intimidating.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, men probably would get paid maternity leave.
:)
Dawn, yes it does make it a lot easier to come to work each day knowing that Baby C is right down stairs.
ReplyDeleteI guess I should weigh in, since I did stir the pot up a bit....
ReplyDeleteI am with Chrissy here. I really think that if women were home longer after baby arrived, we could raise our children. We wouldn't have to put it into the hands of someone else.
But, women wanted to be treated equal and now this is where our society is.
Coming from a preschool teacher, I see it first hand. There are children who spend way to many hours at school each day because mom and dad have to work.And children don't spend time with their own parents. And parents who, because they don't spend all their time parenting, have a difficult time raising their own child.
I think if a woman was able to stay home, I belive that maybe there would be a bigger sense of family. I also think that women wouldn't be so stressed about having to find care for a 6 week old. Maybe even post partum depression wouldn't even be so high. But,I can olny guess here.
And guess what, I work. I stayed home with Tanner until he was 2. Then I went back to teaching. I teach where my son is and I see him throughout the day. It's not the same as being home, but it's what I can do right now. We want to move, we want another child and Hubby doesn't have group insurance, so I need to work to get insurance.
But, our society is run by men. Men who don't have a uterus and who don't and will never get it. We are in a society that focuses too much on getting ahead.
This is my opinion... :) Melissa