Are you for men getting paternity leave (like women get maternity leave) from work when their wives or girlfriend's have babies?

I'm kind of in the middle on this one.

Sure, why not. Let the dads have time to bond with their newborns too.

Rule Breaker wrote:

Sure, why not. Let the dads have time to bond with their newborns too.

It does make sense. After all with everybody saying a kid needs two parents, then why shouldn't both of them be there for the kid in the beginning?

Definitely. But with that would come fewer companies offering short term disability pay for those on maternity/paternity leave.

I am crazy jealous of those who got disability pay for maternity leave because I did not and in addition to preparing for the baby expenses, I had to prepare for six weeks of no pay.

If a man wants to take some time off from work after his child is born, that should fall under the banter of personal vacation. A large part of the reason why women go on Maternity Leave is so that they can have as little on their plates as possible by the time they spontaneously go into labor, and so that their bodies can rest/heal after delivering. Paternity Leave does not serve the same purpose. The child will still be there before and after his work shift, those eight hours away from the newborn will not interfere with a father being able to bond with him or her.

In Canada, maternity leave is usual 12 months, though some places allow more. A father can take paternal leave and the time can actually be split between both parents or combined. Many families will take 11 months, with the Dad taking the 1st month off to be around to help out. I've also had friends who've split it - 9 months for the Mom and then the Dad takes 3 months after that, or some other combo, so the baby always has a parent home during the first year.

Because of the point stavdash made about maternity leave being in part for recuperation, I can see paternity leave by contrast not being allotted the same amount of time, but I do think that employers should allow new fathers time off from work to bond with and assist the mothers with their new babies. It's just the right thing to do.

Exactly, is the mother supposed to be alone all day while her body is trying to recover while at the same time putting up with the baby that needs constant attention?

^^^^No, and I agree that fathers should get a paternity leave of sorts.

Far be it for me to disagree with a dude getting time off work....