What did you do for your summer vacation?

[KenHigg]

I haven't checked but thats about $30,000 over the period (per child)

Col

So I'm assuming you think this outrageous... In which case I'm curious what you would do to deal with children that might go hungry if the money was taken away?

 

[ColinEssex]

So I'm assuming you think this outrageous... In which case I'm curious what you would do to deal with children that might go hungry if the money was taken away?

Not at all - Lisa asked how much was it - so I looked it up for her.

Col

 

[KenHigg]

Not at all - Lisa asked how much was it - so I looked it up for her.

Col

Hum...

So based on this:

In the UK, the mother gets a benefit called child allowance (for each child), which they happily spend on ciggies / booze / holidays / cars etc etc (anything but the child really)

You don't mind the money, you just want to dictate how they spend it?

 

[lmnop7854]

The child benefit is currently £18 per week until the child is (I think) 18 years old.

Based on Ken's calculations, it isn't all that much, but hey - anything extra is good. It wouldn't keep me from working, but boy, that would be lovely. And to answer your question, no, the US government doesn't give that kind of an allowance.

Maternity benefit is paid if you have been employed by the same employer for 26 weeks (6 months). You get 90% of your weekly earnings for a period of 26 weeks, then it reduces after the 6 months. It can be paid as soon as week 15 of the pregnancy. Its paid by the employer.

If you are less then 26 weeks employed by the same employer, you get Maternity allowance - which is paid by the government.

Holy crap!!! No wonder woman stay out so long!! Although it varies from employer to employer, the standard is 6-8 weeks full pay for maternity benefits. However, at my last employer, which was a University, since I had worked there for 7 years, if I had had the baby while I was still employed with them, I would have been eligible for 26 weeks full pay. I would never have taken that much though. Over here, no one else does your work for you while you are out - it just piles up...

Fair enough, but there was a programme on the telly a while back which compared child care in the 50's and 60's with todays shambles.

They realised that in the 50's and 60's, mothers usually stayed home to raise the family. This led to a continuity of care and education.
These days kids get pushed from playschool to childminder / school / relatives / the father (who is separated) and the kids are more screwed up.

How about this for an idea - Mothers should stay at home and look after the kids - thats their job isn't it? its only this equality rubbish that gives them the delusion that they can do it all. A mothers job is to raise children isn't it?

Ok, here's my dispute on that program - there are only a million reasons why kids are screwed up. In the 50s and 60s, the evidence of divorce was much lower as well, and I believe that to be a much higher contributing factor than daycare. As such, moms can't very well stay home with the kids if they have to support the family.

Personally, I would LOVE to be able to stay home and watch the baby all day. We would have so much FUN!!! But since I am the primary breadwinner in the family, and will probably continue to be, there isn't a chance of that happening.

I also truly think she enjoys being around all of the other people and kids, and if she was home with me alone, I think she would be bored. Plus she wouldn't be getting only limited socialization until she went to school, and then how screwed up would she be? Like I said, I'm doing the best I can, and I think most mothers do that every day. And worry that they don't do enough.

Lisa

 

[ColinEssex]

You don't mind the money, you just want to dictate how they spend it?

I said thats what they spend it on - and many do that.
I'm not dictating anything.

If I was getting that money I'd probobly spend it on booze too, kids drive you to drink anyway, horrid brats that they are, I know I went to school with some! - so you could look on it as consolation from the government for going through the "having kids nightmare"

Col

 

[dan-cat]

These days kids get pushed from playschool to childminder / school / relatives / the father (who is separated) and the kids are more screwed up.

Both of my parents worked full-time and look at the state of me

 

[KenHigg]

I said thats what they spend it on - and many do that.
I'm not dictating anything.

Crash course in semantics: Sounded like you were a little more displeased with situation

If I was getting that money I'd probobly spend it on booze too, kids drive you to drink anyway, horrid brats that they are, I know I went to school with some! - so you could look on it as consolation from the government for going through the "having kids nightmare"

Col

I would imagine they could be a 'nightmare' if they had a bitter old fart like you for a father...

 

[KenHigg]

Based on Ken's calculations, it isn't all that much, but hey - anything extra is good. It wouldn't keep me from working, but boy, that would be lovely. And to answer your question, no, the US government doesn't give that kind of an allowance.

Actually, for hardworking, responsible parents we do have a similar program in the US - Tax deductions.

 

[lmnop7854]

Actually, for hardworking, responsible parents we do have a similar program in the US - Tax deductions.

Oh yeah - that. I must say, she was a nice little chunk of cash this year. Of course, she is much more than that....

Lisa

 

[KenHigg]

a nice little chunk of cash this year.

Did it offset the cost of the pampers?

 

[dan-cat]

Did it offset the cost of the pampers?

Replenish the partner's ciggy supply perhaps

 

[lmnop7854]

Did it offset the cost of the pampers?

Way.

Replenish the partner's ciggy supply perhaps

Don't smoke - thank God.

Lisa

 

[Rich]

Actually, for hardworking, responsible parents we do have a similar program in the US - Tax deductions.

I guess you don't qualify then

 

[MrsGorilla]

Holy crap!!! No wonder woman stay out so long!! Although it varies from employer to employer, the standard is 6-8 weeks full pay for maternity benefits. However, at my last employer, which was a University, since I had worked there for 7 years, if I had had the baby while I was still employed with them, I would have been eligible for 26 weeks full pay.

My maternity leave at my last job was unpaid. Then when I came back they laid me off which, technically, is against the law but I didn't complain because that is what I wanted. I didn't want to go back to work for them and I wasn't going to, so even if they hadn't laid me off I would have quit. But it was better that they did it for me so I could draw unemployment for a little while and stay home with Emily. The way it worked out with that I was able to stay home with her until she was 5 months old. Now, the way hubby and I have our work schedules staggered we don't have to do daycare either, thank goodness. If we have a day where both of us have to work then my m-i-l can usually watch her. We're very fortunate, but we do make some sacrifices to have our schedules like that to avoid daycare. We do, however, take her to a little "pre-school" twice a week for about 5 hours so she can be away from us and socialize with other kids her age.

Now that I am working for local government, if we have another child I will have 12 weeks paid leave. I also get 14 days paid each year in vacation and roughly 11 paid holidays.

Back to the subject, I suppose our summer vacation was to Vegas, even though we didn't get to do anything really vacation-like while we were there save for a couple of hours of sightseeing the last day we were there.

Hopefully by next year we'll be able to take Emily somewhere a little more fun. My husband's aunt and uncle that live in the Largo, FL area have told us to come visit them and spend some time taking her to Disneyworld.

 

[TessB]

My husband's aunt and uncle that live in the Largo, FL area have told us to come visit them and spend some time taking her to Disneyworld.

Oh goodie... another opportunity to meet Cindy!
You know Largo isn't far from my place..... just across the bay...

 

[MrsGorilla]

Oh goodie... another opportunity to meet Cindy!
You know Largo isn't far from my place..... just across the bay...

That would be fun, since our Vegas meeting got loused up.

But it won't be until next summer (probably).