06 March 2007

Over-stating the case?

I accept that paternity leave is a Good Thing but I fear that I am becoming an old fogey. Especially when I see reports like this one in The Guardian:
Children are more likely to suffer development problems if their fathers do not take paternity leave or spend enough time with them when they are very young, according to an analysis of thousands of babies born around the turn of the millennium.
A report published today by the Equal Opportunities Commission and based on research tracking 19,000 children born in 2000 and 2001 found emotional and behavioural problems were more common by the time youngsters reached the age of three if their fathers had not taken time off work when they were born, or had not used flexible working to have a more positive role in their upbringing.

When I was a child, there was no paternity leave worth speaking about. Which leads me to wonder if the children of my generation (and all those before them) suffered emotional and behavioural problems?

The EOC would probably answer yes. Me, I don't remember it that way. But then, as I said, I'm becoming an old fogey...

No comments: