If paternity leave were equal, ie gender equality, then there would be less of an issue for small companies hiring people in a certain age window, they'd get screwed either way.
Personally I think the idea of men and women being equal is pure idiocy. I can't give birth or breast feed children for a start. But if you want equality you can't do it by halves.
Breast feeding naturally goes on for at least a year. Yes milk can be expressed but this is detrimental to the bond between mother and child. I guess if you want equality you don't want that special bond. Yes women can work in some places with their children present to feed them, but this is hardly commonly allowed.
FWIW from 6 months of age my Wife and I shared domestic duties, daytime child care and work equally. We run our own business and take it in turns leading with the business and leading with the household. We share the load equally but we certainly bring different aspects to both work and home roles.
What does giving birth and breast feeding have to do with anything? After the first few weeks both parents are equally capable of looking after the child.
Breast feeding goes on for as long as you want it to go on. I'm certainly not advocating against breast feeding, if you're medically capable to do it, enjoy it, and can fit it into your schedule then by all means breast feed away, I'm even cool with you doing it public.
However using it as THE reason for mothers not going back to work and having the father stay at home is simply archaic.
You're not advocating against breast feeding, you just don't think the choice to breastfeed is a legitimate reason for the mother to be the one to stay at home? That's some double-talk there.
You shouldn't need any legitimate reason beyond "I want to" to stay at home with your kid. My point is that it is perfectly reasonable to raise a kid with out breastfeeding during the day and breastfeeding should not be used as an argument to guilt or coerce women into staying at home when they'd rather go back to work.
Breastfeeding is better for the mother and child. Choosing not to is like choosing not to give your child a decent diet. The WHO strongly advocate breastfeeding for a minimum of 12 months.
Women don't need to try to breastfeed unless they want to raise children.
If you want to be "equal to a man" then don't bear children. Simples.
Choosing not to is like choosing not to give your child a decent diet.
Every pediatric doctor I've spoken to on the subject disputes this as outdated. The only cases where this still holds true is in places where there is limited access to modern baby formula and clean water.
breastfeeding should not be used as an argument to guilt or coerce women into staying at home when they'd rather go back to work
I don't see anyone doing that. All I see is the notion that breastfeeding is a reason why, on aggregate, mothers choose to stay at home longer than fathers.
If anything, I'm reading your attitude as a way to guilt and coerce mothers into going back to work when they'd rather stay at home.
> "Breast feeding goes on for as long as you want it to go on."
Yes -- and a lot of people want it to go on for the first year or so, because it's far and away healthier than formula. Ergo, a lot of mothers take more time off work than fathers do.
Even among women who choose to go back to work, many do it only part time, because of the added time commitment of breastfeeding or pumping. This is something a stay-at-home dad simply can't replace; infant formula is a sad substitute.
