Since the beginning, people viewed women as more suitable for child rearing than fathers. Even now, many still believe that the caretaker of children should solely be the mother’s responsibility. Fathers are viewed as bread winners or disciplinarians who go to work and leave the bonding and child rearing to mothers who are seen as more nurturing and patient. Is this to say that men are unable to possess these qualities and therefore, should not take a more active part in childcare? Furthermore, most companies in the United States do not give paternity leave and as a result, fathers miss out on valuable time during the first few weeks of their baby’s life. Subsequently, this can have a negative impact on the newborn. The SMU Law Review carried …show more content…
A child’s brain is developing every day as they grow; hence, they can learn behaviors and other activities that surround them in a short space of time. Having the father there to be a role model in the child’s life at an early age is imperative. This positive experience can support healthy brain development which supports future learning. According to the Child Abuse and Neglect User Manual Series, “children with involved, caring fathers have better educational outcomes. A number of studies suggest that fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful with their infants have children with higher IQs, as well as better linguistic and cognitive capacities” (Rosenberg and Wilcox …show more content…
For this reason, paternity leave should be viewed as important because it gives an active role in childcare task, is critical for child bonding, and plays an important role in child learning abilities. The value of having the father present during the child’s earliest development from birth is why paternity leave should be offered in the United States. Additionally, the significance of a father being there for his child also expands to the mother, by allowing her to recover and mentally transition into motherhood. Though some people would disagree in regards to paternity leave not being important, there is a lot of research on the value of fathers receiving time off from work to attend to their newborn. According to the International Labor Organization, “legislation on paternity leave was provided in 79 countries of the total (167)” (Addati et al. 50). The recognition of fathers being able to assist in child rearing is changing and as time goes by the stigma of fathers not being as equipped as mothers to take care of their newborn baby will begin to prove