"Me-Ternity Leave" has anyone seen this?

[GiraffeObsessedBaby]

Just come across this, I didn't see the show but will be having a look after my DSs bath time.

Is this for real? Am I alone in thinking what the actual fuckity fuck?!

https://m.facebook.com/loosewomen/photos/a.166231134878/10157440690599879/?type=3&source=57&tnn=EH-R

Actually laughed out loud! Maybe on their ‘me-ternity-leave’ they should be woken up every 2 hours through the night and be randomly covered in sick or poo. I hate the idea that it’s thought of as ‘mummy privilege ‘ - it’s there so that parents can actually sustain a small infant...most women don’t get full pay either.

Having a baby was your choice though.

You are not alone. I first heard something about this years ago and my views have remained unchanged. It’s a ridiculous idea and in my opinion even discussing it as an idea sets maternity rights back decades. It makes it sound as if women are off on some jolly rather than recovering physically from pregnancy and birth, whilst looking after (and getting to know) a new baby - never mind the rest!

I say this as a child free/childless by choice person.

I do think there may be room for discussion on making unpaid leave / leaves of absence more available for ALL employees whether male, female, parents or non-parents to persue other goals (study, travel whatever), on a case by case basis and so in reality nothing like maternity leave or this “me-ternity” BS.

Ugh I’ve rambled - short version, I think the idea is ridiculous!

I love the bit about learning a language or going on holiday. That's how I spent my maternity leave, gallavanting around the world and learning languages

What?
This just makes women look fucking stupid and not serious. Maternity leave is there to make sure infants are able to attach to their primary carer and have their needs met.
Are they suggesting men take a 'meternity leave'?!

It's every bit as pathetic as people who complain about all the sick leave colleagues get.

Knobs! Do they want sick leave allowance too just in case a colleague catches more colds than them?

It just shows how insular and selfish people are.

On a bigger scale, our children are important as they represent the future population. On a smaller scale, having a child requires recovery and we should respect that.

People are selfish weird fuckers.

Where I work, staff with 5 years' service can request a sabbatical (unpaid) of up to a year. They mostly use them for travel or study, but someone took a year off to build a house and a colleague had 6 months off to get their puppy settled in and trained.

I'm childfree by choice and I agree that this is bollocks. It really minimises the work mothers do while on maternity leave - it's not just a jolly!

If someone wants a career break then they can negotiate it with their employer. But no-one is entitled to a year of doing nothing at someone else's expense.

The concept already exists. It’s called a sabbatical. True, not every company offers this, but if you want one that badly speak to them and see if they’ll do them.

Having a baby was your choice though.

Yes just like many women choose not to have children and therefore get to benefut from more freedom and disposable income. What is your point?

“Mummy privilege” they can fuck right off with that bullshit for a start

"Mummy privilege". Ffs. As usual, women made to feel guilty AGAIN over things that they should be supported in. Whoever thinks maternity leave is used for hobbies and frivolity needs to read some of the threads on here about traumatic births, the struggles of breastfeeding, how to cope with sleep deprivation....I mean really. It takes a long time to recover from pregnancy / birth/ newborn days. My DH used to call going to work a "break" when I was on mat leave because caring for a small baby is hard fucking work. And yes, we choose to, but what's the alternative? We all choose NOT to and no babies are born? Or we all choose to give up our jobs and sign up for benefits and council housing instead? Would that make people happier? Thought not. People are so fucking stupid sometimes it blows my mind. Also, not only do I disagree with this bollocks but I also think maternity leave should be extended so women aren't forced to work to their due date with hyperemesis, SPD, hypertension (as I did with all 3 of these) and any other complication that hits them for fear of not having enough time off once baby has arrived. So there. Rant over.

Not to mention the fact that many women are at a disadvantage in the workplace because they have had to take maternity leave???? It’s time out from work during the period of their lives when many are expecting to climb the career ladder.

If women stopped choosing to have children we'd be pretty stuffed.

So what about men?

It's called annual leave and they get 5 weeks of it per year.

Also no reason not to take a career break :)

The concept already exists. It’s called a sabbatical

Or quitting..... statutory maternity pay isn’t exactly a kings ransom. Whilst I was grateful for it I wasn’t swanning round in head to toe Gucci admiring the view from my private jet!

Maternity leave is initially for recovery and then because a baby physically needs a primary carer pretty much 24/7. Being humans and a society there’s a responsibility to support that.

Painting by numbers learning how to count to ten in Italian isn’t quite the same.

(Incidentally I support the idea sabbaticals should be more prevalent than they are. Technology was meant to give us more free time not tie us to our screens the way it has done)

As a childless infertile woman I think this is ridiculous!

As per pp, me time is annual leave, if you can afford it, take a career break. Maternity leave is for new parents to raise and look after a baby.

I also think it's excellent that mum and dad can now split maternity leave, I know a few dads who have done the last few months while mum went back to work, they loved the opportunity to be stay at home parents for a few months. Quite right too.

We all get holidays, this is ridiculous

I have no problem with it.

We used to give “leave” for all manner of things when we ran a business so this would have fit quite nicely under that.

And then a lot of women get treated like the house skivvy on mat leave by shit partners because 'well, you're sat at home'.

@jacqueshammer so you wouldn’t say ‘you already have an annual leave allowance’ and look confused?

@NotANotMan it's called paternity leave and shared parental leave.

Some fathers and same sex partners actually take this when they have a new child.

Granted not as many take it as should but then it is often paid so badly lots of fathers/same sex partners use as much holiday up they can or rearrange their working hours.