With Peyton John Paul paid me 60% of my salary for 8 weeks (6 if you didn't have a c-section) with no extra insurance required. After my maternity leave was over with Peyton, at 8 weeks, I was able to work part time the rest of that year. They worked this out for me for that first year so I would have more time with her. It was awesome because as busy as some days got with basketball and teaching I always knew I had the next day to spend with her, just the two of us, however I wanted to. This time I don't have temporary part time work, but I will be home until he is 14 weeks. The last 5 weeks or so she will be back to preschool and he and I will have time just us. So I feel blessed in both situations to have time with my babies that so many people don't get.
But it raises the question for me... what if I was ALREADY back to work yesterday???? He was six weeks last Friday and MOST women who have to work for financial reasons have to go back to work after 6 weeks. I honestly can't imagine how they do it. The thought of it breaks my heart. I feel like there has to be a better way. I watch HGTV all the time, and so many of the shows like Love it or List it are based in Canada. Women on there are talking about having to go back to work after a YEAR! I am not sure if they are paid or just guaranteed their job back or really how it works but that must be AMAZING as a mom. I know this gets into socialized medicine and all kinds of other debates, but I feel like there has to be a better way.
For me I wouldn't want to not coach for a year. It is to big of a part of who I am, but to have options to be home more while you have an infant would be great. In my current job, the only form of maternity leave is to take out long term disability and how much you can collect is limited. For some of my friends they do not even have that option. The only thing they have are their vacation and sick days.
Again I don't know what the answer is. My husband runs a small company and if they had an employee leave for a year on maternity leave they would have a major problem keeping things going. I am not saying that I know what the answer is but I think there has to be a better one. One that helps women have time with their babies while they are so small and need their mommies as much as their mommies need them!!!!
We lived in Belgium for two years pre-kids. I was always in awe of their "leave" situation...one year for moms and 6-9 months paid for dads. Pretty awesome that they valued not only bonding time for mom, but for dad as well.
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