Does America want Moms to stay at home?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2005
Does America want Moms to stay at home?
987
Mon, 12-12-2005 - 11:28am
It was actually dh that suggested that America (gov't I suppose) wants Moms to stay at home. From what I have learned from these boards daycare is hideously expensive and maternity leave is very short. Many have said they couldn't afford to work because of daycare costs. Compare this to Canada where we have $7 a day daycare and Quebec is increasing maternity leave to 2 years at 55% pay or 1 year at 75% pay in January. With the $7 a day daycare Moms can easily afford to work, and with the paid maternity leave Moms can easily afford to stay home. It seems that in the states you're 'forced' into situations because it's your only option. Can't afford daycare? Stay at home. Maternity leave too short or have to work to support the family? Go back to work. Would any of you prefer if it would be easier financially to make either decision like it seems to be in Canada or are you fine with how it is?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:45am
My ILs own a $1mil + house, and they are nowhere near middle class. :) Of course, it cost $215k when they bought it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:47am
But you are coming out far ahead. The reason we pay so little in taxes has nothing to do with the fact that I SAH. It has to do with the income level. If I SAH and dh made $75k, I'd be paying a lot of taxes.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:51am
They did in my high school. I think in many lower income areas, they are focused on getting kids out who can at least read, so mentioning college isn't really that high on the priority list. If the schools can't educate the kids enough to be able to get *in* to college, then all the aid programs in the world can't help. It's a vicious circle. My mom talks about it a lot.... she really wants her kids to learn a lot, but when she has to teach 14 yr old their multiplication tables and how to add fractions all over again.... well, what can you do. I don't know what the solution is. If your experience (like mine, until recently) is mainly with good school districts, you don't see how far behind the bad ones are. It's not just a little bit, it's a lot.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:52am
I don't know, I'm not poor. But I'm quite sure they don't have the same access to information that you or I do.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:53am
Hey, I've never had a 401k, how should I know.. LOL
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:54am
It's not relevent in a TVC sort of way. (My dh works harder than yours nyah nyah nyah) KWIM?
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:54am
I totally agree.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2004
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:55am
George Bush senior had an expression for it: "a thousand points of light". It didn't solve the health care crisis or homelessness.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:55am
I think maybe you just had crappy health insurance. With ds, I had one $100 copay for the entire hospital stay. With dd, I had no copay whatsoever.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 12-15-2005 - 11:57am
And your solution is?

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