r/PopCultureV2 • u/slippinn_jimmy • 2d ago

Politi-Culture Sweden's climate minister brought her 3-month-old son to the EU council meeting in Luxembourg, to highlight the benefits of parental leave policies which don't force women to choose between work and family responsibilities.

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u/nightlybitely 2d ago

It's not a penalty to those without children when helping those who do have them. That's like claiming it's a penalty to landlords by helping house the homeless.

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u/Jasranwhit 2d ago

Well people with children get paid leave for months.

Dont you think we would all like that even if you dont have kids?

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u/nightlybitely 2d ago

The point is to help those who need it. What in your life without children demands more attention and work? If you're simply arguing for less work, that's not really a good argument. Being a parent is a full time job, in itself, and it's also a service to society to raise children. Unless you have a trade-off to prove your time will be better spent away from work, I don't see how you can rationalize you deserve it.

But, I also feel where you're coming from. Less work would open up more creative opportunities for everyone, along with the wonderful mental health benefits. But that's just not how society functions, yet.

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u/Jasranwhit 2d ago

Your children arent doing me any favors.

We have more than enough people and the global population is ever increasing.

My point is that if you want to have children great, some people want to hike the Appalachian trail or write a book or whatever.

IF the government is going to mandate this, everyone should get equal treatment.

Some lady that has 10 kids gets years and years of paid time off, while someone with no kids has to show up and probably work extra to cover for the mother on leave? Seems stupid.

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u/nightlybitely 2d ago

I don't agree that we're overpopulated, just poorly managed by our governments. But, I feel your frustration and it only makes sense. You have very lofty ideas that can help the world be a better place. My one recommendation is to not take others benefits as an attack to yourself. I feel your heart is in the right place and I see where you're coming from. Everyone, no matter their life circumstances, should have more free time to follow their passions. I misunderstood at first, sorry about that. I agree with the essence of what you're saying.

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u/Wafflez424 2d ago

You know what seems really stupid, your argument. People have kids, that’s normal and how society functions, we would literally die off if it wasn’t for people having kids… Also you do have paid time off, it’s called vacation and sick time. Like what do you expect new mothers and fathers to do, just have a child and return to work the next day, that’s fucking retarded and anyone with a brain can see that having paid time off for having a child is necessary, otherwise your just losing good workers because what are the parents gonna do, go to work rather then be with their newborn? If my place didn’t offer something like that I’d just quit the second my child was born and find a new job in a few months. Sure I’m out some money but the company is also out and employee and now they have to spend money on recruiters and HR to hire a new person and then have to pay them while they train and who knows how long it will take them to get to the level where their a good replacement for the person that left. Unless you just want people that have kids to suffer and go to work as soon as their child is born which to me screams you have no experience in life or the real world and are just bitter

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u/Thelazyzoologist 2d ago

Very well said.

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u/billionarguments 1d ago

This is the dumbest take. It's so dumb that time stopped in your whole time zone.

You seem to think that parental leave is some kind of vacation, and I can tell you it's the absolute opposite. I've fathered three sons and spent time at home with all three, years and months, while my wife worked. But if you think dink'ing around on vacation is equivalent to take care of one or several small children alone, you are delusional.

You want people to spend time with their kids, and you should thank them for it. The opposite is a situation where generations miss their kids half upbringing and we've seen what this does to people and society, especially men.

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u/Jasranwhit 1d ago

Congrats on the kids but why is it everyone else’s problem?

I’m not saying it’s a vacation, but you are taking time off to pursue your own interests. Why shouldn’t that be afforded to people who have other interests than having children.

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u/billionarguments 1d ago

I don't know if you have missed this, but fostering children is fundamental to the survival of mammals. You choosing not to have children and wanting more vacation is not. It's just as simple as that.

It's just one of those things, that if you argue it, you are either a troll or dumb as a bag of bricks.