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Normalizing Paternity Leave

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When a baby is born, it is typical and practically expected that the new mother takes around twelve weeks off from work. New mothers are encouraged to bond with their babies and spend this time adjusting to a new lifestyle and recovering from pregnancy and giving birth. The United States government recognizes the need for mothers to be able to form strong bonds with their babies from early on, and maternity leave is legally protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). However, men are not granted the same opportunities when they become fathers. Men report feeling looked down upon and as though they are missing out on important career opportunities when they stay home with their new child (Paquette). New dads should be able …show more content…

When a father takes leave from work to spend time caring for his baby, he is essentially proclaiming that he does not view himself as only the breadwinner and does not view the baby’s mother as only the nurturer. Although women are anatomically able to provide for the baby, men can still solely or equally take care of the baby. Men are capable of changing diapers, feeding the baby pumped breast milk or formula, burping, soothing, rocking to sleep, and creating a loving, enriching environment for the baby to grow up in. No longer must classic stereotypes of stay-at-home moms and off-to-work dads remain true. However, a new father can not as easily beat the stereotypes if he is not able to take leave and stay home with his baby. Sociologist Scott Coltrane, specializing in studies of fatherhood, explained to the New York Times, “The evolving roles of men and women could eventually change workplace culture… If more women play the breadwinner role and more men ask for family-friendly policies, it could become hard for employers to treat them differently on the basis of gender roles.” If the laws are not changing, it is an individual’s task to advocate for the equality he or she desires, beginning with normalized paternity leave. Because patterns tend to repeat from one generation to the next, it is important for men to set positive examples of how to be a good father. A child who grows up and has their own child is more likely to take leave if their father took

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“Among the various ways men can help women, paternity leave is sometimes mentioned as a good place to start”... “they would help remove the professional stigma surrounding maternity leave and level the playing field.” He also tells us that only twenty-nine percent of those who take it are men. The reason why men don't take advantage of this privilege is because we are expected to be able to endure any type of hardship. "Women who ask for family leave are behaving in a more gender normative way, compared with men who request a family leave....” says Dorment.

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