To think this petition is actually ridiculous?

[SkaLaLand]

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/306691

God I’m currently on maternity and all I’ve done is lie on the sofa cuddling my daughter, spending time playing with her and literally watching her change and develop every single day without interruption, i feel like I’ve had the best maternity leave ever and plus my partner has been off and so he gets to enjoy it all too! Obviously financially it’s absolutely shite but we will never get this time with her again.

Yes it’s been shit as our families are missing her but bedsides that issue, there are thousands of resources on YouTube that you can watch if you really feel like you’re missing bloody baby sensory that much! I’m embarrassed by this petition, it’s almost as bad as the one demanding partners can attend scans, even though in the rest of the hospital people are literally dying alone!! Pregnancy and motherhood does something to certain people’s brains that makes turns them into such snowflakes, precious little Tarquin is so oblivious he isn’t going to miss ‘sing and sign’ one bit not is it going to affect his future development!

Totally deluded...
I have just returned from mat leave 2 months early due to the covid crisis. I couldn't wait to get back and help out (frontline NHS). Maternity leave is about you and your baby, not baby groups! Agree with PP that the taxpayer has enough bills to pay right now.

Some babies will basically never have been around anyone but there parents, and then will be thrust into nursery as soon as they open as the primary parent needs to return to work. Which seems a bit cruel.
Unless they are returning to work when the baby is 6 weeks the baby will definitely have spent time around others before Covid or afterwards if they are a very young baby. Either way, it's not something that needs "at least three months" extra paid leave.

What a load of bollocks.

They better top up maternity pay significantly if baby groups are sooooooo important. One weekly class is about £8 per week, so mums basically need a baby group allowance of at least £24 per week, plus transport allowance. So £35 per week extra
No, i’m not serious.

Not to mention that yes, your baby is missing out on being slowly introduced to the world. This has never happened before so no one has any idea what impact this will have on babies and children

Do you honestly think that? Do you think babies have never before only had their parents as company or that child development hasn't been much researched? Really?

Yeah, it's total BS. We don't have money for shit like this.

Ridiculous, as if there isn't enough of a financial burden caused by this.

Ha I'm on maternity leave but there's no way I'd sign that... bloody ridiculous!
I think 'entitled' comes to mind ... can't get over the amount of signatures either!

Does anyone still go to these things. we were past this when mine were born 29 years ago, and I was a sahm not thinking of going to work.
I'm really surprised they still exist, tbh.

It’s utterly shite. I’ve seen it all over social media but it’s poorly written guff. There are real issues for many people but trying to pretend a lack of baby groups is going to stunt babies therefore they should have 3 months extra leave is just illogical crap. There are real issues re discrimination for many woman. This petition does no-one any favours.

I’d also say, lockdown has made no difference to my baby at all. She’s completely oblivious. My older child is suffering much more as are children missing an education.

The number of signatures is going up as you watch it. What a joke.

Some people are so greedy and selfish. Where would they like the money to come from?

I am both saddened and slightly disgusted that so many people have signed this

I had dc2 7 weeks ago, I think it's bonkers.
I do feel a bit upset that absolutely everything is shut, I loved going to baby groups last time and to be honest I was looking forward to going to them again, especially as ds1 is still a toddler and enjoys them, but what can you do!

Why on earth should these people get preferential treatment? It's mad.

Well, there's certainly a lack of education on that petition, what is a "patent" maybe it's not a petition for baby groups
Well, good for them if they get it. Now, it's 9 months, when I had mine it was 6 months including any time you had before the birth.
Maybe mat leave will be extended to a full year and a few extra months for fathers, next.

I’m pregnant and think it’s not right. However, I’m being forced to take maternity pay early as my employer is refusing to furlough me even though I’m high risk, I can’t go to work but I can’t survive off of sick pay and didn’t plan to go back to work 11 weeks earlier than I wanted to.

Agree OP. Baby groups are not “Vital for development “ i didn’t go to any with dd2. How do they think babies developed before Baby Groups ? Ridiculous .

People have no sense of perspective.

Why have you linked it OP? I don't get it?

What a waste of resources if this has to be looked at.

We already have a very generous one year maternity leave policy, nine months of it paid.

Babies don’t need to socialise with other babies, they just need a parent or carer.

Let's be honest. What this is really all about is that some people on maternity leave are gutted that the rest of society isn't stuck in work and some people are off with higher pay. This is all geared towards some people wanting to have their maternity extended so that they could feel like they were having time off when others aren't. It's not about the development of the child at all.

What it actually means is... Fucked if I’m using this time as paid maternity when all my colleagues are working from home.

Cross post @Burplecutter

Extreme PFB behaviour!

Aw, it is ridiculous when viewed against all the other things that have had to be sacrificed but that time is important for social reasons. I agree, not for the direct benefit of the child but I made friendships attending baby groups that quite literally got me through my DC's childhood.