I finally uploaded photos for the month of January. It's been a whirlwind of a month... the stress of going back to work, getting used to being a mom for two instead of one child, and a multitude of family illnesses, including Julius being hospitalized for a possible appendicitis (thankfully though, it was just a really bad stomach virus).
I'll be returning to work on Tuesday. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it'll be nice to be out of the house and with my peers doing something I love... but then I remember deadlines and stupid office politics and the annoying gossip....and I look at my two great kids and my heart hurts because I'm going to have to split my time even more.... and little Isabella has no idea what's about to happen. And that breaks my heart even more.
And then I get angry. Angry at the stupid system we live in. If I was in Canada, I'd have the option of taking an entire year off (instead of just 12 weeks: 6 weeks of it unpaid). The United States is supposed to be one of the greatest countries in the world... it boasts being the best, so you would think it would treat its residents with some dignity... but no, instead our maternity leave is similar to third world countries.
From Mom's Rising (http://www.momsrising.org/maternity)
* Having a baby is a leading cause of "poverty spells" in the U.S. -- when income dips below what's needed for basic living expenses.
* In the U.S., 49% of mothers cobble together paid leave following childbirth by using sick days, vacation days, disability leave, and maternity leave.
* 51% of new mothers lack any paid leave -- so some take unpaid leave, some quit, some even lose their jobs.
* The U.S is one of only 4 countries that doesn't offer paid leave to new mothers -- the others are Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
* Paid family leave has been shown to reduce infant mortality by as much as 20% (and the U.S. ranks a low 37th of all countries in infant mortality).
It disgusts me. Hopefully Obama's changes will include fixing maternity/paternity leave.
2 comments:
waiting for your new post about moving to france or canada where childcare is important. :)
I would love to write a post like that! Or one where I announce that the United States decide to stop their backwards thinking and actually move forward.
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