I’m about to start my 12 week paternity leave next week thanks to a state program and almost everyone that I’ve told has had their jaws on the floor that I would even want to do that.
Today I witnessed a group of coworkers almost bragging how little time they took after their kids were born. I’ve heard stuff like “Most men are hard working and want to support their families so they don’t take leave”.
To me it was a no brainer, I’m getting ~85% of my normal pay and I get to take care of my wife, our son and our newborn for 3 whole months. and for someone who hasn’t taken a day breathe in the past 3 years I think I deserve it.
I’m in the US so I know it’s a “strange” concept, but people have seemed genuinely upset, people it doesn’t affect at all. Again, it’s a state program available to almost anyone who’s worked in the past 2 years, I’ve talked to soon to be dads who scoffed at the idea and were happy to use a week of pto and that’s it.
I feel like I’m missing something.
Sounds like attitude of wage slaves that have been brainwashed into doing everything for the corpos and being fine with getting scrap. They live to work as opposed to work to live.
Can’t change the slave mentality of some people. They were just born to be one.
They were not “just born to be one”, it’s just the propaganda is so strong
Their logic is from a POV of they dont get the benefit since they aren’t expecting parents or didn’t get that benefit if/when they wer, so why should anyone else. When really the proper evolved response is to be happy that new trends are being set and we’re improving the cruel system that keeps new parents from critically important family time.
First of all dont tell your coworkers shit. It almost always becomes ammo for them later.
Definitely take advantage of every state program you can. You paid for it already. People talkin shit are fuckin smoothbrained trogs
Ignore them. If you can, should you try and stagger the time off with your s/o. Don’t take it at the same time.
People are idiots. Why would you give up a benefit you’re legally entitled to? Nobody is going to as much as thank you for that.
In the US fathers don’t have any legal right to take time off from work. It’s expected that you would miss at most a few days for the hospital visit.
You are missing better coworkers, or coworkers who haven’t succumbed to the stupid idea that working yourself to the bone for someone else’s profit is good.
“Men are hard working” my ass. Taking care of kids is hard work and if they can’t understand that, their social conditioning worked exactly as expected.
My man, you are literally getting paid to spend time with a tiny human being you helped make. You’d have to be pretty deep into the Kool-aid bottle to say no to that.
I had my mandatory 15 weeks last year and loved it, so from one dad to another: enjoy it!
And remember: if you die tomorrow, you’ll be replaced at work within a few weeks, but you can never ever be replaced at home.
Fuck those people dude. When it comes to children. The days are long, but the years are short. Enjoy the time you have with them when they are little and don’t miss out on all those amazing moments. I took 12 weeks with my kid and it was wonderful to just watch her grow. Take benefits where you can, fuck the haters.
That group you overheard were reinforcing their excuses for ignoring the needs of their child along with the needs of the mom, and reinforcing beliefs that have overwhelming evidence of being false.
Kids needs dads in their lives, the earlier the better. Moms need dads to help out and support them.
You’re not taking time off work to laze about, you’re switching from one job to take on several related jobs for a while so that you,your child, and your woman have a brighter future than any amount of money could buy.
You’re only missing out on taking the easy, shortsighted route. You’re missing out on ignoring the future cost your family has to pay in the long run so that you to get to go back to the familiar routine of work. You’re missing out on staying with the known game of work to avoid taking on something new.
You’re not missing out, they are.
Those first few months, especially with your first kid… man. The sleep deprivation alone makes it worth it. Not to mention all the firsts that happen so fast that you’ll otherwise miss… presumably to work for “the man.”
Am American, but been lucky enough to work with people who understand this, and maxed out all paternity leave I could get.
You’re the smart one. Fuck the haters. Ignore them.
I love my wife and kid, but I was ready to get outta the house after two weeks and go back to work
