Why Don't American Mothers/Fathers Demand Maternity/Paternity Leave?

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: Bluesma

Thanks for sharing this. It definitely gives me an idea for why Americans might not care about parental leave.

Are you more accepting of it now?

I am.... intellectually. But I find that the early conditioning we recieve in our education is extremely hard to shake.
I still get uncomfortable when I go to pick up meds at the pharmacist and she tells me I have nothing to pay.
I get physical symptoms- my gut goes into tight cramps, my head drops forward and my eyes will stay low, unable to look anyone straight in the eyes. It is a shameful type reaction that never goes away.

In work situations, this has been my biggest hurdle - I will automatically do things alone without aid, which is not appreciated here and seen egotistical and antagonistic. I have real difficulties asking anyone to help me.

But I can force myself now. Back when I was having babies here, I had to put up a big fight to get out of the hospital 24 hours after giving birth (the tradition is to stay two weeks!). They thought I was insane and it made a scandal.

Now, I think I would do the two weeks, but would have to deal with all the physical stress signals of my body described above, for the whole period. Adapting to much different practices means doing a sort of violence against your body that is a source of long term stress- which is why I have to have time alone in nature to recupurate.

This is largely why I often say I strongly doubt that such huge changes could be made in America and work smoothly- a generation of people taught different values simply cannot change mid-life! You are not going to suddenly make X generation people feel okay with getting some support and aid from their society and others when they have never had it in their whole life, are proud of that, and have coped by convincing themselves they don't want it anyway.

It would take a couple generations before you could get people who started off understanding this principle and are conditioned to it.

a reply to: Atsbhct

This was probably mentioned.....but there is a law for Family leave.....
www.dol.gov...

The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to:

Where I work, you got paid if you have the vacation and sick time available.
I really do NOT think the employer or the government should pay extended benefits for this.

In the US, we already pay way too much for almost nothing in healthcare.

What french people often ask me is-

Why do american people prefer that their taxes go to military, instead of coming back to themselves for their own needs?

I obviously have worked out why I used to, but I guess each person has to ask themselves that question.