Would you take it? All or part? Or split with your partner/spouse?
I like to fantasize about what life would be like in a place with long paid parental leave. But I realize everyone might not want to take that much time off. What say you?
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First, I think it would be amazing! Theoretically, I would take the full year but it would depend on if it came with a financial stipend like in Canada and if it were feasable financially to do so.
Honestly, I would be THRILLED with 6 months in the US. Thrilled.
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Probably not. I would take 6 months.
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I would not take a whole year off, particularly unpaid. I dunno, I was ready to come back at 13 weeks. I was going loco
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@Anagram: yes! Because it's a fantasy, I'm imagining full pay. Just want to know if taking that much time off appeals to people.
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I would split the time with my husband, probably right dow the middle, assuming that it comes with full salary, continuation of benefits and return to a reasonably similar job at the end.
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haha well if it is a fantasy I would probably take the full year since it is paid at 100%. being more realistic, if it was like another country where you get some pay but not all I would probably have to go back between 6 and 9 months.
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I think a year is too long, but 6 months sounds good!
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I would probably take 6 months and dh would take 6 months!
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I'll take it if it's paid!
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I would take six months and split the second six with dh!
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I would have liked 6-9 months.
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I'd split it with DH, but even better would be if I could take 3-4 months off completely and then do a few months part-time.
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I think it is a great idea, but I wouldn't take it because my goal was to go down to part-time after having my baby. The last thing I wanted to do was return full time after any period of time.
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A year felt too long for me. I might not take the full year with #2.
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In fantasy land, i'd split it 50 50 with DH!
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We get a year in Canada and I'm taking it. BUT it's not full paid. That would be swell!
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@Mrs. Champagne: what is the pay during maternity leave in Canada?
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@MoonMoon: I believe 55% and some businesses provide a top up to a certain amount. My husbands company provides a 94% top up if he were taking leave! Mine provides none (which is most common), but I am in sales so getting my commission for the first 3 months paid out to me (although it's less than normal because I'm not working and actively selling in those months).
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I would want to be a sahm anyway. But I was thinking this week that if I was going back to work, doing it now at 7 months would be so much easier than at 3 months.
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If it was at full pay, yes we would take the full year. But I'm not sure how we would split it up. I don't think my husband would WANT to be home for 6 months at all, but he would take more than the 2-3 weeks we're talking about him taking now (he "gets" a whopping 2 days off for paternity leave. lol). I think in my ideal world he would take 4 months off so we could do the first 4 months together, then I'd take another 4 months alone before going back to work. That would put me back to work right after the new year, and it would be really nice to have 8 months off (including the holidays!) with my LO.
If it was 55% I think we'd take more than we're taking now, but not the full year of leave. I'd take maybe 6 months.
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@Foodnerd81: I feel the same- I work part time, and leaving him felt a lot tougher at 3 months than 6-7+ months.
@Mrs. Champagne: good to know, thank you!
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Would depend on how much pay and who is paying for it. I would take a whole year - that would be too hard on my company to sustain.
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I voted too long. I would take 6 months in a heartbeat though!
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I think 6 months off would have been perfect for me (I took 3.5 months off). So if we were able to get a year, DH and I would probably split it.
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I think 6-9 months would be great, and then maybe work PT up until 1 year?
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If it was fully paid, I'd take it! That's how much I hate pumping at work. Once LO is a year I'd feel so much more comfortable about putting them in daycare too.
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@Foodnerd81: Agreed. I went back full-time when M was 6 1/2 months and it was much easier than I expected. I would've been a mess at 12 weeks.
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I think the option of 1 year would be great. For me, ~8 months would have been ideal.
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I think anything paid would have been nice- all of mine was unpaid, and I used sick days to supplement. I would have loved to take the remainder of the school year off, but at the same time, I got a bit insane being at home. Give and take, I suppose...
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I would want to be able to take it in 3-month increments. Like be able to evaluate quarterly if I'm ready to go back or not.
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I stayed home for 15 months with DD and it was amazing. Ideally, I will take a one year leave if I have another and it will just be unpaid. For me, it was a great amount of time to be home and I was ready to get back to work when that time was up. If it were paid and my job was assured to be given back to me it would be incredible!
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Also, it enabled me to EBF like I had planned and when she went to daycare at 15 months, we just weaned during the day and I didn't have to pump. That was an excellent advantage!
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I get a year and the first 6 months I enjoyed the time but kind of wanted to go back.
Now that she's older I am having SO much fun and loving these last 6 months. I'm glad I took the full year!
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I think 6 months of paid leave would be good. With the option to decline less paid leave.
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I'm taking 13 months (the last month will be fully paid vacation time) and it's perfect for me. I'm going back in six weeks and feel I'll be ready. Having this time has made our BFing relationship successful.
@char54: Agree 100%! DH's best friend and his wife are splitting the year - she'll take the first six months and he'll take he second. I told DH to tell his friend that he's the lucky one because he's getting the best part!
@Mrs. Champagne: @MoonMoon: It's 55% to a maximum of $501/week, less taxes (I think I get something like $958 biweekly). My employer also topped up to 95% for the first 17 weeks.
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Full paid sure, but I would be happy with ANY pay and 6 months would be great!
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I think 6-8 months would be the longest I would take a maternity to leave, but I would LOVE to have that. A year away from my job is a LOT of time to lose track on the industry and company.
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Yes! I definitely would.
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I'd ask DH if he would want any of it but I already know with his type of work, he wouldn't want to leave the office anymore than a few days.
I'd take it all! I wanna say, I think I wouldn't be a SAHM if The US has 1 year mat leave.
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