Mr. Mom

Today begins my two-month paternity leave, as K returns to work. On this occasion I'd like to ask when our society will become civilized--put its money where its lip service to "family values" is--and pay mothers and fathers a decent stipend to stay home for a year after the birth of a child. The US ranks right up there with Lethoso and Swaziland in the realm of paid parental leave.

K and I have the relative "luxury" of enough accumlated leave at our respective jobs to enable us to be paid for almost all of our FMLA-guaranteed leave, but what about single parents? Those working 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet? And once leave is up, what about the daycare prospects for those who can't afford the equivalent of a mortgage payment for decent childcare?

L ended up in a terrific daycare which she loved, and which probably more stimulation and learning opportunities than either K or us could have provided on our own, but still the fact remains: the first time I left L at daycare, in the care of strangers, was without a doubt the worst moment of my life.