Should Men Get Fully Paid Paternity Leave From Work Just Like Women?

I don't see why not. Having a new child is a hell of an experience, so it's very draining, not only on the mother, but on the father as well. If it causes the father to miss work, then I believe that he should have set aside Paternity leave so that he can re-organize how is life is without having to worry about drama at work.

And dabeaner- you're an idiot, maternity leave doesn't encourage woman to become bimbos. It's exactly like I explained previously. Just because the woman is getting paid to set up the house for the new child, doesn't mean that she's going to go pop out a few more kids because "she gets paid to do it."

As a father of two I have firsthand experience in actually having of children. My wife is not a bimbo, and abortion is for murderers. As far as leave goes, for either parent, taking care of a newborn is a full time job. They get up at all hours of the day and night. The parents get zero sleep. Newborns require near constant feeding and attention, and that's from a father who was blessed with perfectly healthy children. For those who must suffer the tragedy of raising a newborn with a health condition (and believe me, they are too numerous to list) the need for constant care is far greater.

My wife took three months of maternity leave for both of our children. The employer's cost for this is covered by the premiums we pay for short term and long term disability, so the net effect on the company and other employees is ZERO. Anyone who says otherwise is an idiot. Anyone who suggests getting an abortion as opposed to taking maternity leave is an idiot. Abortion is entirely the choice of the parents, and is not a decision reached lightly in any circumstance. To suggest otherwise is stupidity.

As far as paternity leave goes, the option should absolutley be available to fathers. Any man who has had children knows that his partner is exhausted after childbirth and taking care of a newborn can be quite taxing. The father should be there to not only care for the newborn, but also to provide comfort and assistant to the mother. It is standard practice in the medical industry to provide new mothers with six weeks of recovery time after childbirth. All kinds of factors affect this recovery period, from postpartum depression to the simple fact that gestating a life for 10 months takes a lot out of you. Any woman can validate this for you.

For those who contend that any leave for childbirth, maternity or paternity, is not needed, I suggest you attempt to bear a child and then tell me that you don't need time to recover. Like I said before, this leave is covered by the insurance premiums that both my wife and I pay, There is no financial burden on others, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that any work that didn't get done while we were away was ready and waiting for us when we got back to work.

Should men get paternity leave just like women? Probably not, as we do not have to bear the physical burden as women do. But real fathers carry an equal share of the emotional burden and if we are to be there to support the mother (as any real father and partner would) we must be afforded the time to do so.

I believe maternity leave was initiated to provided time off for the preparation, birth, healing and initial breastfeeding and bonding of the mother and child. Although, I believe that time off should be given without any kind of punitive action against the mother, I believe she should use her paid vacation time before any kind of paid maternity leave is considered. Why, because I to do not believe it is an employers responsibility to pay for the birth of a child! I know this probably will not make me popular with many. Taking that into consideration, I do not believe a man should get paid "maternity" leave either. I do however believe they should be able to take their vacation time once their baby is born. A baby should bond with both parents early and it is a wonderful experience for both.

If a couple plans ahead to become pregnant and saves, like my sister and her husband did, they will have enough money saved up to live on for the extended time they take off beyond their paid vacation leave! She took 2 weeks vacation and 4 weeks unpaid leave. He took 2 weeks vacation and 2 weeks unpaid leave. They planned ahead and saved!

dabeaner, I hope you never get anyone pregnant! If you think women are bimbos' it is not likely you will find one who wants to mate with you anyways!

Women should not get paid maternity leave. Why should an employer pay to indulge bimbos' "need to breed"? If women, married or not, cannot afford to raise kids without tapping everyone else's purse, maybe they should reconsider. GET AN ABORTION!

So, men should not get "paternity leave" just as women should not get "maternity leave".