To feel sad seeing a 7 week old baby at DC's nursery today

[comfysketchers]

Dropping my 15 month old off at nursery today before work and there was another woman there at the same time handing over a 7 week old sleeping baby.

He was absolutely tiny and I just felt so sad looking at him thinking that he barely even knows he is out of the womb and his mum is dropping him off to spend all day with strangers in a noisy nursery environment.

I should also add that I live in a country that has excellent parental leave from the government plus most private companies pay at least 10 weeks of full pay on top of that, with many paying much more than that.

YABU - It’s perfectly normal for a 7 week old baby to spend 8 hours per day in a nursery.

YANBU - A 7 week old baby should be at home with its mum.

Well, as things stand, I (as a tax payer) pay for other people's children to attend childcare settings, which I'm not in favour of - so I'd be happier for my tax to be funding women who otherwise couldn't stay at home with their children.

As things stand, I'm contributing to a system I disagree with. At least I'd agree with part of it if all mothers had the same amount made available to them and could use it either to pay for childcare or to stay at home with them.

I never used the 15 hours of nursery funding which was available when my children were small, but if I'd had the equivalent amount, I'd have spent on a National Trust/Historic Houses season ticket or some such.

Oh fuck off. Are you really this stupid? I can assure you I have raised my children

I work in HR. They're steadily increasing. Even compared to last year I've seen a massive increase, particularly as employers are starting to make their paternity leave policies more generous.

😂 I see them plenty. And I love them. And they’re so bright and beguiling and clever and better than everyone else’s children. That’s why. I enjoy teaching them things, travelling with them (took them both to New York at under two weeks old) and seeing them grow.

Why does anyone have kids?! Do you honestly believe you love your children more?!

I remember having a SAHM.

....I work full time.

"National Trust/Historic Houses season ticket"

This must be a parody account

How? If they spent 5/7 in nursery. Do the maths.

And I remember having a working parent, and I was a SAHM. Neither of our experiences is more valid than the other.

How close is it to 50/50?

Have you lost your tiny fucking mind?! 😂 are you seriously writing this offensive bullshit? Or are you drinking?

There are about 750,000 births per year in the UK. You want to pay for several million working age people to stay at home for several years at a time because you believe nurseries can't possibly be a good environment for children?

I would say amongst my London clients it's averaging about 60/40. Less so outside London, more like 70/30.

Yes I am very good at maths. Engineer. Do you know how many hours are in a day?

The nursery didn’t raise our DT’s anymore than the breakfast and after school clubs did. They provided excellent childcare. We did the raising of them.

What a deeply unpleasant thing to say.

That's a very short sighted view of raising children.

They don't provide for them financially for a start.

Wait, maybe SAHM's don't raise their children either.

😂😂 I have no idea how to answer you. Is this a joke? You took a two week old baby to NY as a teaching exercise? In what exactly - capitalism? Gun and gang warfare?

Unless you have homeschooled your children the same applies to you.

Do the maths.

I mean actually, if we are talking about childcare reform, I would like to pay for nurseries to have more members of staff and to actually pay those staff a proper wage rather than the joke wage they currently receive. But yes, I would also like parents to be given the option to stay at home with their children should they wish to. As has been pointed out on this thread, not everyone would wish to, so we aren't talking about all 750,000 children, are we?

It’s the truth though.

This thread is becoming hilarious😂

Poor you. So limited in outlook.

What about SAHMS with a private income?

I provided financially for my children. I was still a SAHM.

I've just worked with a company that gives new fathers (or partners, in the case of same sex couples), 6 months paid paternity, which is amazing. I hope more places start doing that instead of the absolutely inadequate two weeks they currently get.