This Maternity Leave Registration Site Allows You to Spend Time With Your Child Through Crowdfunding
Here’s the statistic: almost one in four mothers in the United States returns to work two weeks after giving birth . If you think this sounds pretty bad, but can’t fully understand why, let Quartz’s Maureen Shaw offer you some visual descriptions in her essay “The Painful, Hidden Hell That Waits For Mothers To Return To Work Two Weeks After Childbirth.” … Spoilers: Vaginas. Tears. So much blood.
Twelve weeks of paid parental leave go a long way in giving mums time to recover, learn to breastfeed, and become attached to their new package, but alas, we haven’t gotten there yet. What option do parents have if they want to spend more days at home with their newborns but cannot afford a vacation from work? How about crowdfunding ?
The platform created for this purpose is Take12 Maternity Leave Registry . It’s pretty simple – instead of asking your friends to buy you jumpsuits, bibs, or a rubber giraffe for $ 25, you sign up for a “gift of time.” Those who visit your custom site can donate money to cover various aspects of maternity leave – snuggles, mommy shower time, night sleep.
“I understand the unpaid maternity leave crisis because I went through it three times,” writes Margie Scott , founder of Take12. “It baffles me to find that working mothers are some of the most creative, dedicated and motivated creatures I know, yet most of us take maternity leave and return to work with little or no preparation. As a result, we feel defeated, alone and depressed. “
It may take some time for the global community to accept the idea of registering maternity leave. When one mom came up with a similar idea on parent forum The Bump in 2012, commentators wrote that it sounded “really tasteless” and “would get a serious sidelong look.” Probably still will be. But hey, relationships are changing. Ten years ago, I thought it was weird when people ask for money on their wedding registries, but now I don’t blink an eye when I see honeymoon funds or even direct requests for cash. Because, well, most people don’t need another slow cooker or salad counter. Just like most new parents don’t need a new blanket. Most of all, they need time to adjust to these colossal life changes.
With Take12, users are required to enter the approximate amount of money they will need to take the full 12 weeks of maternity leave. Here is their guide on how to calculate the number. However, to better understand how much the vacation will actually cost, the new parent must account for much more than lost income. There are the costs of childbirth, life insurance or probate (because you will need it when you have a baby), any support services (doula, breastfeeding counselor, sleep coach or babysitter, maybe) and real baby products.
Your friends and family can only cover a small portion of this, but the registry’s goal is also to “make it more important to have adequate family leave.” Of course, if we make a statement, the popes should be included too. Many fathers are stigmatized when it comes to parental leave , even when the benefits are clear.
Take12 helps start a broader conversation, and that’s just the beginning. Now enjoy this $ 15 snuggle and don’t forget to send a thank you note.