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TexasTowelie

(110,971 posts)
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:04 PM Jun 2014

Obama says US should have paid maternity leave

Source: AP

WASHINGTON —

President Barack Obama said Monday that the United States should join the rest of the industrialized world and offer paid leave for mothers of newborns.

"Many women can't even get a paid day off to give birth — now that's a pretty low bar," Obama said at the White House Summit on Working Families. "That, we should be able to take care of."

The president is touting paid maternity in the midst of a midterm election campaign focused on women voters, without describing the details of how he would fund such a system. "If France can figure this out, we can figure this out," Obama said.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, responded to Obama by announcing he will would outline his vision Wednesday for "how modern conservative reforms can help bring the American Dream within reach for millions of single mothers, young Americans and working families."

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/ap/top-news/obama-encouraging-family-friendly-work-policies/ngQkS/

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Obama says US should have paid maternity leave (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jun 2014 OP
We need to join the rest of the industrialized world in quite a few ways. But this is great. C Moon Jun 2014 #1
We should join the modern world in many ways. amandabeech Jun 2014 #3
+1000 C Moon Jun 2014 #7
Hugs to you, too. amandabeech Jun 2014 #8
Exactly. Melissa Harris Perry had a large portion of her show devoted to family care issues spooky3 Jun 2014 #11
Thank you for your understanding. amandabeech Jun 2014 #12
I have been on the some two "ends" of life as a caregiver myself. CTyankee Jun 2014 #16
I am sure Rubio's "modern conservative reforms" noiretextatique Jun 2014 #2
President Obama... VanillaRhapsody Jun 2014 #4
Thanks TxT.. Thanks Obama! Cha Jun 2014 #5
TPTB shan't tolerate such heresy. Imagine, the impertinence of proposing a policy that indepat Jun 2014 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author Adam051188 Jun 2014 #9
It should, but it's going to take a progressive leader to make it happen. 1000words Jun 2014 #10
Actually, we need a liberal congress to do that. Only Congress can make law. Agnosticsherbet Jun 2014 #19
just a fully democratic congress demigoddess Jun 2014 #35
Thank you. There is still a lot of pretending going on woo me with science Jun 2014 #25
KnR sheshe2 Jun 2014 #13
The hell does Rubio's response even mean? Arkana Jun 2014 #14
Considering ACA is a recycled GOP model ... 1000words Jun 2014 #15
Damn right. /nt Ash_F Jun 2014 #17
Paid maternity leave is utterly minimal. JDPriestly Jun 2014 #18
As a non-parent AndreaCG Jun 2014 #20
I've taken care of kids a lot too, and there are good, well paid babysitters. JDPriestly Jun 2014 #21
Your half assed "apology" is not accepted AndreaCG Jun 2014 #23
I'm 100% behind him on this one. davidthegnome Jun 2014 #22
I so agree, but we also should live free from the NSA/CIA Cabal from spying on all of us. nm rhett o rick Jun 2014 #24
Thank you. woo me with science Jun 2014 #26
Awesome! ZombieHorde Jun 2014 #27
And Paternity leave. nt Bonobo Jun 2014 #28
+1 TexasTowelie Jun 2014 #29
That is important too. Behind the Aegis Jun 2014 #30
And people on DU will still ridicule him for it. Thanks, Mr. president! I agree!! Liberal_Stalwart71 Jun 2014 #31
Well, Putin made him do it. JoePhilly Jun 2014 #32
LOL! Hi Joe! Good to see you! Liberal_Stalwart71 Jun 2014 #33
Hey! Always fun on DU. JoePhilly Jun 2014 #34
 

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)
3. We should join the modern world in many ways.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:20 PM
Jun 2014

It is not just at the beginning of life when people need extra care, but at the end as well.

I hope that Obama and the Dems can help both groups of caregivers.

spooky3

(34,231 posts)
11. Exactly. Melissa Harris Perry had a large portion of her show devoted to family care issues
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:45 PM
Jun 2014

and almost all of the time was devoted to discussing child care.

I would be willing to wager that more than half of her audience is currently involved in or may soon be involved in care of parents, grandparents, spouses, or siblings. The child care issue is only one of many. Employers talk a good game about family values, but do little or nothing to help employees deal with these things. We don't even have paid sick leave where I work unless you are disabled (and employees pay the premiums for this!). The people who are paid to know about unpaid family leave don't and make it a huge hassle even to get that.

 

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)
12. Thank you for your understanding.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:49 PM
Jun 2014

In the fullness of time, Ms. Harris-Perry will understand the other end of life, like so many do. I watch her from time to time, and she has a kind heart. I look forward to her future shows on the care of those whose life is ending, or those who will need some extra help all along.

CTyankee

(63,708 posts)
16. I have been on the some two "ends" of life as a caregiver myself.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 10:28 PM
Jun 2014

I had to take my own "vacation days" to care for my aged mother and to help my daughter with her newborn, both occurring in the same year. It is insane that we don't have this. We need to have a more decent society than this.I am so glad Obama is recognizing this problem.

noiretextatique

(27,275 posts)
2. I am sure Rubio's "modern conservative reforms"
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:19 PM
Jun 2014

are neither modern or conservative maternity leave is desperately needed. what a fucked up misogynistic country this is!!! hard to believe it's 2014 not 1914.

indepat

(20,899 posts)
6. TPTB shan't tolerate such heresy. Imagine, the impertinence of proposing a policy that
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:25 PM
Jun 2014

would promote the general welfare of society rather than plutocrats and large corporations.

Response to TexasTowelie (Original post)

 

1000words

(7,051 posts)
10. It should, but it's going to take a progressive leader to make it happen.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 09:44 PM
Jun 2014

Isn't time we voted one into the Whitehouse?

Agnosticsherbet

(11,619 posts)
19. Actually, we need a liberal congress to do that. Only Congress can make law.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 11:10 PM
Jun 2014

Elect a liberl congress and a liberal Senate and all kinds of great things could happen.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
25. Thank you. There is still a lot of pretending going on
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 01:23 AM
Jun 2014

that the problem has been obstruction, rather than an aggressively corporate agenda.

Unfortunately, I believe you are right on the money.

Arkana

(24,347 posts)
14. The hell does Rubio's response even mean?
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 10:02 PM
Jun 2014

It's a meaningless platitude. It's basically saying "Here's our plan to tell you how you're going to bootstrap your way through motherhood!"

 

1000words

(7,051 posts)
15. Considering ACA is a recycled GOP model ...
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 10:08 PM
Jun 2014

Rubio's "vision" might just be what Democrats end up adopting.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
18. Paid maternity leave is utterly minimal.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 11:00 PM
Jun 2014

No child under the age of 6 months should be left behind at a day care facility or with some untrained moron of a babysitter. And yet . . . .

If conservatives are serious about pro-choice, they should back six months of paid maternity leave -- a minimum of six months of paid maternity leave for every mom with a newborn baby. It's an investment in the mental and physical health of our nation.

And every employer, large or small, regardless of the sector of the economy should be required to accommodate breast-feeding mothers and babies. That would help boost the health and well=being of American children.

The female breast (or at least as much of it as you see when a mother is breast-feeding her baby which isn't much what with all these modern nursing contraptions) is shown in all its glory in magazines at the check-out counter of the grocery store and on TV. Surely employers can deal with breast-feeding in the workplace or in the alternative breast-pumping and refrigeration of breast-milk in the workplace.

AndreaCG

(2,331 posts)
20. As a non-parent
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 11:21 PM
Jun 2014

But former babysitter, I take great offense at your describing child care workers as morons. The majority love the kids they watch and take good care of them. I guess you'd describe janitors, fast food workers and sanitation workers as morons too. Or do you reserve that epithet for women dominated professions?

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
21. I've taken care of kids a lot too, and there are good, well paid babysitters.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 11:43 PM
Jun 2014

But where I live, moms drop their children off with utter morons all too often. If them children are lucky their grandmother takes care of them.

In my view, no mom should be with no alternative than to leave a child under six months with a babysitter all day. Both mother and child miss out on important bonding experiences if they are apart a lot during those initial months -- the sound of the mother's voice, her smell, her sight, those are so important to a child.

Have you heard of Konrad Lorenz's research on imprinting?

Imprinting is the primary formation of social bonds in infant animals (Hess, 1973). It is also considered to be a special type learning. Lorenz discovered this phenomenon quite unexpectedly. Observing newly hatched ducklings and goslings, he discovered that they behaved in peculiar ways if they were exposed to abnormal environments during a few critical hours after hatching. He played with the hatchlings and recorded his observations. The newly hatched goslings and ducklings followed and became socially bonded to the first moving object they encountered. Even at maturity, these animals tried to court and attempted to mate with humans if they were imprinted to them. Lorenz was impressed by the fact that a young bird does not instinctively recognize adult members of it's own species but require this special type of learning( Lorenz 1935, 1937a).

He noted that this bond seemed to form immediately to a moving object and that it appeared to be irreversible. Imprinting to moving objects is a form of species specific behavior, since only a few species of birds exhibit this kind of behavior. This process of object acquisition is distinctly different from typical learning. First, imprinting is irreversible. It is essential in learning that what has been learned can be either forgotten or modified. Second, imprinting is restricted to very specific and brief stages in development, often only lasting for a few hours.

http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/lorenz.htm

We have known about imprinting for a long time now, but we do not use that knowledge for the advantage of families and our society.

A baby needs to know it has a caretaker it can depend on. Babysitters come and go. If at all possible a baby should have its mother or the person who will later play the role of mother there during the first six months of life. Sometimes it is not possible, but we should do what we can as a society to make it possible for as many children as possible.

I've always loved the children I have taken care of. But I was not their mother. And when I became a mother I recognized the difference. I felt utter devotion and willingness for self-sacrifice with regard to my own children. For me it was a passion that I think had to have been biological. I would have done anything for my children, anything even if it cost me my life -- still will. Every child deserves to have his or her mother close during the first six months of life.

I did not stay in the lives of the children I babysat or cared for (and I care for children in their homes as well as in a day-care facility). The baby's caregiver in the first six months of life should, ideally, be the caregiver for the rest of the child's childhood and life when at all possible.

AndreaCG

(2,331 posts)
23. Your half assed "apology" is not accepted
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:10 AM
Jun 2014

Last edited Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:45 AM - Edit history (2)

As a non-moron, I am aware of the importance of mothers bonding with their children. I think fathers bonding with their children is important too. While I do think the US should join the rest of the first world in offering paid parental leave (for Daddy too), I don't think that if a mother decided to go back to work prior to your magical six month time period the child will be irreparably damaged. Frankly you seem to want to REQUIRE mothers to stay at home with their children, an attitude we decry in right to lifers trying to take away a woman's right to choose.

And BTW some mothers are morons too, and bad caregivers. They're not all perfect madonnas like you seem to naively think.

davidthegnome

(2,983 posts)
22. I'm 100% behind him on this one.
Mon Jun 23, 2014, 11:49 PM
Jun 2014

There is absolutely no valid reason why we cannot have paid maternity leave in America and it should be something beyond being insanely fortunate in finding an employer willing to offer it. We can do this, we should this. If we are loud enough in our support for this proposal, we might even be able to help him pull it off.

This is why I voted for Obama, this is exactly the kind of change (if only one of many) that I have been hoping for. Let's do what we can to help him out.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
26. Thank you.
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 01:27 AM
Jun 2014

Return of due process and elimination of "Kill Lists," indefinite detention, and assaults on journalism would be nice, too.

TexasTowelie

(110,971 posts)
29. +1
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 02:07 AM
Jun 2014

During the first few weeks after childbirth the fathers also have to make significant adjustments in their lives and the time for bonding with the newborn is also important. When my parents were alive I always felt a stronger connection to my mother than with my father. My father was 39 years old when I was born and by the time that I was able to go play independently he was never around since he had worked all day and was worn out.

JoePhilly

(27,787 posts)
34. Hey! Always fun on DU.
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:05 PM
Jun 2014

Where the nastiest thing the GOP does gets almost as much attention as the anger displayed about anything good the president does.

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