The Importance of Paid Paternity Leave

Despite America being a highly-developed state, paternity leaves have received acclaim and support in at least 70 countries worldwide but it. The research has indicated that only one percent of men in the world think that paternity leaves are completely inappropriate, and if they become a necessity, they should not exceed a time of one week. Various reasons support the importance of paternal leaves such as the enhancement of fatherhood and its role in the upbringing of children. From Lamb’s (2010) analysis, the role of a father influences the level of divorces and has a profound effect on the child’s development, especially at infant stages. Paternity leave is even considered a positive attempt at effecting gender equity without sidelining the male gender (Huerta et al., 2013; Mclanahan et al., 2011: Harrington et al., 2014). This essay, therefore, intends to analyze and conclude on the roles that paid paternity leave has in influencing a father’s involvement in caring for his children as well as dwells on the importance of fatherhood with regards to the family.

Fathers will be more directly involved in children care if they receive paid paternity leave. It is a common understanding that the allowance of paid paternity leaves is directly correlated with increasing the father’s ability in caring for his children. Fathers just like the any nuclear family with both parents should be involved in caring for their children because of the life time benefits. Different pieces of research indicate that the early days of a child’s life are highly critical in staging the lifetime care with the father being an active contributor. The failure of fathers to attend to and care for their children based on their traditional roles as breadwinners has made fatherhood caregiving ability set a pattern that has been difficult to change, especially in establishing an attitude that fathers need to look after their children more than simply provide for them (Lamb’s, 2010; Mclanahan et al., 2011: Harrington et al., 2014). At the early stages of kid’s development both parents have to attend to and care for their child in order to form a close bond that lasts for a lifetime. A paid paternity leave is essential in allowing the father to still provide for his family while having time to care and making bonds with his children. Furthermore, the research has indicated that fathers who have taken time to look after their children during the paternity leave period are more than likely to dress, bathe, and feed their children even long after the leave is over.

Secondly, paid paternity leave has a profound role in changing the gender roles associated with fatherhood in the family. Paternity leaves would facilitate the change in viewpoints that associate fathers as only having the role of being breadwinners within the family. It is important to realize that fatherhood is not rigidly bound by the traditional expectations that fathers are supposed to be breadwinners. However, it is only possible in families that have an advantaged background where rich fathers can afford time and money to care for their children. Less secured fathers who receive poorly paid paternity leaves have been found to offer little support to their infants that come from a disadvantaged background. Despite this fact, it is agreed in Lamb’s (2010) book that the role of a father should not be exclusively perceived as inclined towards providing for the family but towards the sharing of childcare responsibilities. Paid paternity leave will change physically and psychosocially not only fathers but also their babies. The professionals have found out that this technique has a positive mental effect on reducing depression and the chances of a couple divorcing, especially when both parents perceive career development which is essential to their lives (Mclanahan et al., 2011). Talking about divorces, America currently has more than 40% of its births to single mothers. Furthermore, in the face of gender equality and positive discrimination, the offering of paid paternity leave is a step to achieving this role.

Finally, paid paternity leave has the same effects on improving a child’s mental well-being and the ability to bond with both parents throughout the kid’s lifetime (Lamb, 2010; Harrington et al., 2014). It is very good for children if fathers can be with them when they are infants. The mental stability established in the child has a profound effect in influencing his or her performance at school. From the research, it is especially significant for the female children. However, this relation is only confirmed in families that are well-off. The research also indicates that approximately one third of fathers given paternity leave in Britain have a high likelihood of reading books to their children in bed and also helping them with their homework as they grow up (Lamb, 2010; Mclanahan et al., 2011). Furthermore, children have been known to benefit immensely by the bond with the father, especially when the paternity leave was long enough to devote time to the child’s early developmental stage. According to the research, it is during this stage that fathers are more likely to develop a positive attitude and motivation towards helping their child, especially if it is physical challenged (Lamb, 2010).

To sum it up, it has been studied that paid paternity leave has important implications in facilitating the development of children in the family.  It gives fathers the opportunity to care for their children, change the perception of fatherhood roles, and also benefit the child by improving his or her mental state (Lamb, 2010). From the research considered herein, paid paternity leave is only faced by the challenge that it is often too short or poorly paid. This fact inhibits the ability of underprivileged fathers to completely concentrate and participate in the process of caring for their children. Paternity leave has been considered by some professionals in the field of social and mental health as having the potential to significantly reduce the chances of divorce as the child grows into maturity.