Offered Paternity Leave

Layla Sajdieh

ENG 111

Mr. Wells

11/28/16

Should Men Be Offered Paternity Leave?

Paternity leave is the time a father takes off work at the birth of his child or the adoption of a child. Paternity leave is rarely offered paid. There are some country’s that allow more paternal leave than others. Taking care of a newborn is often difficult for a new mom which is why new mothers take maternal leave from work so that they can adapt themselves to this new lifestyle. As maternal leave is important to every new mother, paternal leave is important for any man that has a new child. Mothers should not be the only ones to be offered leave. Fathers should be able to accept to take leave when having to care for a new child as well. Some argue
that men should not be able to take leave because they did not go through the biological process of labor and having a child. It is important that new dads take paternal leave for many aspects. Paternal leave can be physically and mentally healthy for a new dad. It is important for a mother to take maternal leave because after the birth of the baby, it is important to create a bond and spend time with the baby. Fathers also need time to create a special relationship with his baby. After birth is the perfect time a dad should be able to focus on a parent child relationship without the distraction of work. This time is essential because the father needs to learn a babies needs and hop into daddy mode. Learning new daddy responsibilities can be overwhelming, so having time off to learn how to father will can build confidence. Having the confidence can make a man feel like they are doing right for their child and wife. The first few weeks at home between parents and a child should be an awakening bonding experience. It is likely that the husbands who take time to learn the baby’s needs are less likely to be depressed months from the birth because they aren’t thrown into a hectic schedule of chaotic work and the stress of balancing life events. Having all the responsibility on a dad’s shoulder as the provider and father figure can hit hard. Not only is paternal leave beneficial to the relationship between a child and father, it can also be beneficial towards marriages. This can help create a balanced marriage and decrease divorce rates. The gender standards have always been the mother takes a few weeks to months off to take care of her child while the father takes a day or two off then heads back to work. This doesn’t give the dad a chance to help the mother out with her and the baby’s routine. After a woman gives labor, her body needs time to recover especially if having to undergo a C-section. Having the father around to attend wife and baby’s needs is essential in the mothers healing process. Having the father on leave also can help make the mother feel like he’s being attentive which makes a wife feel appreciated. This appreciation can help create a healthy foundation for a marriage. Achieving gender equality can help strengthen a marriage. Having a dad take off time from work helps divide and contribute to any parental duties there are. America has been known to think that women are meant to be the main caregiver but that can change. Paternal leave is highly important in order to break that gender norm we created. An opposition of paternal leave is it is unnecessary to have both the mother and the father off at the same time.
The man is usually the breadwinner and should work while the mother is at home taking care of the baby and fulfilling baby duties. It is usual that the father goes out to work while the mother stays at home so that they could afford baby items or the overall cost of having the baby. It would be beneficial if paternal leave was paid. Whether it is paid or unpaid opens is another topic to be discussed. If their paternal leave was available but unpaid then income would no longer be coming in for that period. Working companies may not be too fond of paternal leave also. If the mother is already able to be home with the baby, why would it be necessary for them to extend pay to workers who aren’t contributing especially if the child has one parent already present. Some men in the workplace who choose not to have children may find it unfair that dads have paternal leave available. Some men are simply against other men taking a leave to take care of a child takes away from the gender stereotypes of men making the most money in the family. Part of being a bread winner is sacrificing your time to go out and physically work to provide for your family. Since the idea of paternal leave is new not many men are even accepting of what benefits could come out of it. Expectant men are used to dealing with the stress of an upcoming birth by simply putting more work into their career. It is not only for the money but the stigma that it is the masculine thing to do. They do want to be seen as weak since the idea is breaking gender
norms.
Some might see paternal leave as a necessity, whereas others may feel that it is taking the gender stigma too far. When a woman gives birth it is a life changing event. She has to be involved with many new responsibilities and it can be difficult to adapt to them without the proper support. It is understandable that a woman be expected to receive maternal leave, not many agree that the father should be offered the same. Many men go through fatherhood. Man and woman are involved in creation of a baby, which should be why they should be involved in both pregnancy and the childbirth. The role of a woman is much more important than that of a man. It is crucial that he is present especially in assisting his wife in fulfillment of motherhood. Women need to feel supported. During the late stages of pregnancy is when a woman finds it difficult to do chores. Her husband should contribute to her and do her duties.