Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin
There is a biological aspect to this. Women produce milk, men do not. Formula is available, and is *close* to breastmilk, but is only a substitute and in many cases is not a financially feasible option. I don`t think anyone would challenge the fact that breastmilk is best for the child.
In cultures where it is harder to secure breastmilk substitutes or safe "baby food" it is perfectly normal for a child to drink breast milk as the main staple of their diet until one or two. It would be impossible for a man to pull this off. If formula were not there, then the baby would die even with 24 hour care from the most dedicated father while mom was out working full time.
Japan believes strongly in feeding by breast as much as possible. If a mother takes the first year off, it is much easy to transition into her being the main "stay-at-home" part of the family as, no matter how understanding her workplace is, it would be very hard to leap from a year of parenting to full time full production in a company. There is no such transition for a father.
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That's fine. If a couple decides to breastfeed a child, that's absolutely fine. It's also fine that a woman should stay home for a couple years to do this. However, to me, that certainly doesn't mean that the woman can't return to work after the few years, and that the man can't stay at home for a few years in her place. To me, a relationship is about balance.
Also, to add another layer to this, how do you feel about single parents? It's hard work, there's no doubt about that, but they manage to fill both roles of "man" and "woman." Men leave work and take care of the house and his child. Women leave the house to make money. Somehow, they make it work. Because of that, I think that - especially when there are TWO people to take care of those many responsibilities - it's easy for men and women to switch off and help each other in everything. Both can go to work, both can take care of the house. Both can ensure their financial future.