“Fathers who get longer paternity leave have been shown to have an even closer relationship with child for a lifetime,” according to an study done by Petts, Knoester and Waldfogel. When we’re talking about equality for all, it’s important to consider the fact that some fathers want to spend these first few months with their newborn. Yes, mothers need the time to recover from birth, etc. but is it not fair to offer men some leave in order to bond with their family in those formidable moments? In the past few years, men have been given the chance to take paternity leave for 6 months or more but still report feeling “pressure” to return sooner. Also, it should be taken into consideration that mothers need help parenting as well. It’s been a long time coming. As they have strived for equality on all fronts they have somehow ended up being left with the remains of an old paradigm that she is the one to take care of the home. Women are now expected to work, still be a mother, be a wife, and all-around superwoman. It’s exhausting. Paternity leave isn’t only for fathers to bond with their newborns, it’s a chance for equality within the home. A home where women are no longer considered to be the main stakeholder in all things that are part of a “home.” This parental leave promotes equal parenting dynamics and moves away from the one-sided dynamics of raising children. Parental leave and maternity leave should go hand-in-hand in the society that we live in today.
