Why Are Families Getting Smaller? Is Corporate America To Blame?

by Catherine Ipcizade | More from this Blogger

Look around most places in America, particularly large metropolitan areas, and you'll likely see a phenomenon-a maximum of two children per family. The fact is, Americans are simply not having as many children as they once did. The reasons for this are many.

One reason is that women now play integral roles in the workforce. Whereas women in previous decades were most likely to stay home to care for their children, women now wear many hats. Some stay home, some work from home, and some work outside the home. This has increased the need (and costs) of daycare around the country, and has posed quite a challenge for lawmakers and corporations. Or so they say.

You may be surprised to know that the United States is behind nearly all other wealthy countries when it comes to maternity leave, paid sick days, and support for breast-feeding. In fact, the United States is one of only five countries out of 173 surveyed that does not guarantee paid maternity leave. In short, our family-oriented workplace tactics aren't cutting it.

You may also be surprised to know that in 65 countries, fathers are given paid parental or paternity leave-often up to 14 weeks of paid leave. In the United States, fathers are given none.

Not all lawmakers are standing back and allowing this. In fact, on Thursday, Senator Chris Dodd from Connecticut plans to propose a plan that would allow workers six weeks of paid family leave. Congress is also set to reconsider the Healthy Families Act, which requires employee sick days to increase from five per year to seven.

Still, there is currently no legislation allowing women support to breastfeed while at work. In other countries, paid breaks are given to allow for this. And although legislation may be proposed to change the family practices and allowances in the United States, the pessimist in me wonders if anything will change.

In a country where freedom is valued and family is deemed important, I find it appalling that parents in the United States are missing out on necessary family time because their legislature and workplaces will not give them the basic familial rights other countries have granted. How many fathers have gotten no time off to spend with their wives and new babies? In turn, how many new mothers have had to face the first weeks of parenting alone, or have had to go back to work before their bodies and hearts were ready? How many parents have had to leave their child in the care of someone else or send them to school, even when they are too sick to be anywhere but at home?

I hope you'll use your voice and take a stand against this important issue in our country. It's unlikely that we'll ever see families with many children as the dominate force in this country, but with any luck, we may be able to see families more supported.

Note: Catherine Ipcizade is a regular Food writer for Families.com.

Learn more about Catherine Ipcizade

Cathy Ipcizade is 30 years old and currently resides in Southern California. Prior to coming to California she grew up in Arizona.

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