AIBU to ask you to sign this petition

[Billy86]

Petitioning the UK government to extend maternity leave for three months to ensure mother's have the time necessary to find childcare and promote baby's socialisation skills after lockdown is lifted

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/306691

Now, don't lynch me here... just spitballing. But say you have a parent (because shared leave exists) is due to return to work say July/August/September it's not beyond the realms of possibility they would be securing a place at a childcare setting march/April but couldn't because of lockdown. If it's not lifted until June which is the earliest realistically it could be you then have a period of adjustment and potentially some settings not reopening but parents due back at work with no childcare in place.

It's badly worded and not really necessary for everyone currently on leave, but I can see a point for some.

I'm on MAT leave, I've been asked to sign this multiple times now. It's such a ridiculous thing to expect.

@ALittleToadsMum your baby will not struggle to settle into nursey because they missed a few months of baby group. The two experiences are not alike. Lots of babies never go to baby groups due to cost or personal choices, they won't suffer from this later in life. Your baby will be fine

@majesticallyawkward then they need to talk to their individual employer. But this petition isnt about not sending people back from mat leave until Sept which would be MARGINALLY more reasonable, but because baby needs to go out and hang with his mates and shake a tambourine else he'll never have any friends

I wonder how my children turned out to be well rounded, well socialised individuals when maternity leave was only 16 weeks, with 4 taken before due date. I never brought any of them to a baby group either.

Give yourself a head wobble FFS.

My 3rd child went to these clubs at least twice a week since baby then even more socialising when I returned to work with the childminder. She is much less sociable than my other two who attended a lot less, almost none, so these groups will not make babies more sociable at later life.

It's at 95,000 signatures and it only went live yesterday, it will be at 100,000 tonight! Howwwwwwwwwww?!

YABU

Dont be ridiculous.

I posted on the other thread... I went back to work full-time when DS was 5 months. So I missed out on those months of socialising and baby groups and my DS didn't have those experiences. Pretty much every other new mother I met was having a year off. Can I claim 3 extra paid months so it's fair to me and my DS and we can attend some baby sensory?

No, of course not.

YABU.

YABVU. Baby classes for under 1s do not give any kind of social development that can't be done at home. They're for the parents. Children don't need other children to socialise with for the first couple of years, let alone the first few months. At least be honest about the reasons behind the petition.

I signed because all the nurseries locally have closed (the majority of them permanently). There is 1 available but it has a 12 week waiting list from the end of my mat leave. An extra 3 months to sort out childcare will be invaluable.

Ah yes, let’s make women more unemployable.

Babies don't need socialisation; they need a consistent and responsive caregiver. I would have thought lockdown was much better for a baby's development than running around to a million activities where the babies all lie around like potatoes (NB that might just be my DS) and the mums complain about how tired they are.

Yes, you are being unreasonable! Absolutely pure greed.

@CaroleFuckinBaskin all the twats who want a extra three month jolly.

Ha, what a stupid idea.

My son went to zero baby groups etc before he came to me at 18 months, I went to a few, hated them so didn’t to back. Oddly enough he’s like most almost five year olds.

Babies don’t need to socialise, they need reliable care givers, a parent also doesn’t need three months to arrange childcare. If they do they probably aren’t competent enough to look after a baby.

Ffs I've heard it all now , what is up with people.
You actually believe you should get 3 months extra maternity leave because of COVID and not only that you think people will agree with you ? .
Madness people will sign anything

YABU and quite frankly bonkers.

Crazy!

Also, if you are due back at work in a non wfh role and cannot get a nursery place then you will likely be furloughed or have to come to an arrangement with your employer.

If this is just about baby groups, then there are bigger priorities AND may pay towards the end is not a huge amount, so really you are probably looking at middle class mums who can afford to stay off work for three months being paid out of the taxes of those who will have to go back to work ASAP. It is regressive and tone deaf, not to mention the portrayal of (all) women as wanting to delay returning to their jobs that presumably they are not that bothered about doing or progressing in so that they can drink coffee with a bunch of randoms in a village hall - I love my mum friends, but really?!

As somebody who is currently on maternity leave, this is a ridiculous petition.

YABVU.