Japanese cabinet minister takes paternity leave; paid parental leave encourages Swedish dads to be present post-partum as fathers; OECD brief highlights benefits of parental leave for mothers & fathers

Child-rearing, particularly early, messy childrearing in the weeks following birth is a crucial activity that any parent should be free to take part in. Mother, father, parent, child-- whole families and societies benefit when parents are encouraged to immerse themselves in parenting, when they are free from pressures of earnings and expectations.

Culture and policy which discourage or disallow dads from participating in parenting are harmful and limiting; parental leave should be normalized and funded regardless of gender. The U.S. is the only OECD country to not even offer paid nationwide maternity leave for 12 weeks, and half of the other OECD countries offer paid paternity leave as well.

Securing the best (or even a respectable) foundation for parents to lovingly raise future generations is the definition of a society-wide issue, one where we should all be on the same side, one where the U.S. is lagging behind.

This decade, let's support all parents in parenting. Let's secure maternity leave for mothers- not at the cost of paternity leave, but alongside it. Let's look to policy, law, and culture to challenge the norms that handicap parents by gendering and economically devaluing the love labor of raising a child.