Argument Paper

Submitted By enevels26
Words: 631
Pages: 3

For many years, there has been an issue raised about men being eligible for maternity leave at work. I believe that this issue is somewhat a double standard and puts men in a hard and very upsetting position. Men should get just as many advantages and all the benefits of having a new baby as the mother does. They are having a baby, not just the mother. Within the relationship, the paternal role during pregnancy is very intense and important. The male is not physically carrying a baby, but he has to be mentally strong and supportive, and that can be a very stressful situation for the dad. Nowadays, there are many people that have kids before marriage, but it seems that most jobs only acknowledge paternity leave with married couples. There are still some married people having kids, but not nearly as many that are not married. Boyfriends or husbands both play the same role in the woman’s pregnancy. The fact that if you are married you might be eligible for paternity leave, might pressure couples to get married. I think this is not right and should be an issue raised more often and taken more seriously. When having a baby, it is a very exciting time in both parents’ lives. The father as well as the mother is anxiously waiting on their new baby’s arrival. It seems that employers cater to the woman and gives her extended leave to take care of their new baby. The baby gets to bond with the mother at this time, and the mother bonds with the baby. Shouldn’t the father also have bonding time? Does the father not play a major role in the baby’s life? I think that fathers are just as important as mothers in the baby’s everyday life and they should be treated as such. Men are just as stressed and tired from their girlfriend’s pregnancy than the mother are. The cater to the mother, cooking, massaging, supporting, helping to keep them happy, hydrated, and full of all the crazy foods they may be craving for. After the mother has the baby, the father is responsible for helping with the baby; changing diapers, waking in the middle of the night, helping to calm the baby when it cries. These tasks can be stressful and time consuming. When a man is working strenuous hours, their work at home is shortened and the mother is overloaded with work that both parents should be equally responsible for.