I've just come back from a posh policy document launch at the Commonwealth Club on parental leave. I was invited because I'm now a "leading SME blogger" apparently. (Which reinforces my point about the lack of online 'traffic' amongst SMEs.).
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) wants things like 'Daddy Hours' and 'Mummy Hours' and generally worthy, not to mention well thought out, initiatives to help parents spend more time with their kids.
I'm actually quite a fan of this. Where do we expect our low crime society and high emotional intelligence work force to come from if kids of all ages aren't 'raised right'. But I have a few questions.
What about teenagers? I have two and they need loads of help and attention and are far less predictable, and therefor able to fit into a working schedule of any kind, than toddlers and babies.
Isn't the cost off all this going to end up on the shoulders of biz one way or another?
And mostly, isn't this another example of us trying to 'have it all'? I learned today that fathers spend double the time with their kids than was the case in the 1960s, which has to be a step forward and evidence that we're progressing. I also learned that non-parental childcare is expensive and this can put a huge burden on parental relationships. No shit! But somewhere in all this I can't help but feel that we're trying to convince ourselves that two full time working parents has no impact on the kids. And that if we can just throw a bit more money at the problem it'll work out just fine. Raising kids is the only really important thing most of us do in our lives. It's also exhausting, stressful, expensive and once you've started your life will never be the same. Maybe we need to own up to these facts and stop trying to pretend that it won't change our lives forever and accept some of the difficulties, like reduced income and thereby lifestyle, that can go with making hard choices.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) wants things like 'Daddy Hours' and 'Mummy Hours' and generally worthy, not to mention well thought out, initiatives to help parents spend more time with their kids.
I'm actually quite a fan of this. Where do we expect our low crime society and high emotional intelligence work force to come from if kids of all ages aren't 'raised right'. But I have a few questions.
What about teenagers? I have two and they need loads of help and attention and are far less predictable, and therefor able to fit into a working schedule of any kind, than toddlers and babies.
Isn't the cost off all this going to end up on the shoulders of biz one way or another?
And mostly, isn't this another example of us trying to 'have it all'? I learned today that fathers spend double the time with their kids than was the case in the 1960s, which has to be a step forward and evidence that we're progressing. I also learned that non-parental childcare is expensive and this can put a huge burden on parental relationships. No shit! But somewhere in all this I can't help but feel that we're trying to convince ourselves that two full time working parents has no impact on the kids. And that if we can just throw a bit more money at the problem it'll work out just fine. Raising kids is the only really important thing most of us do in our lives. It's also exhausting, stressful, expensive and once you've started your life will never be the same. Maybe we need to own up to these facts and stop trying to pretend that it won't change our lives forever and accept some of the difficulties, like reduced income and thereby lifestyle, that can go with making hard choices.
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Where do you start on the parental debate. Try and halt the system that encourages the least desairable parents to become one. Invest in teachers that are capable of relating to kids and the time they need in order to achieve this. Ensure that fathers have adequate access to kids and more rights to a say in when that might be. Tax breaks relating to mortgages/rent for parents purchasing/renting in the vicinity of family to promote the full family ideal. Free condoms strapped to every bottle of Bacardi Breezer... Nick
ReplyDeleteNice comments Nick. It's interesting how potentially incendiary this topic is. I already feel the need to point out how family friendly my biz is. We employ virtually all part time staff who mostly have complex childcare needs that we always accommodate. I suspect that the point made at yesterday's event, that many businesses are already doing whatever is needed to accommodate staff childcare issues, is true but we worry that legislation may distort what in most cases is working just fine.
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