Credit to @advicewitherin whose recent post highlighted this jaw dropping contrast and inspired this post.

It easy to get complacent with the status quo when it’s all you’ve known until you see a comparison like this. I’m in favor of laws requiring puppies to stay with their moms until at LEAST eight weeks. Having seen some eight-week old puppies I think they would probably be better served to have that number be even higher. But for HUMAN babies, so many mom’s are faced with this horrendous choice. Leave your newborn human baby at some kind of (expensive) childcare, or give up your income that’s critical to housing and feeding that baby (and you). As a new dad, I feel horribly for all new parents faced with these terrible financial decisions amidst all of the other challenges of being new parent.

What can you DO about this? Well, for YOUR life, do the best to make these situations better for yourself by following the two rules. If you’re living below your means and investing early and often, you’ve got a built in financial cushion to help get through financially challenging times. Societally, I think we need to do better. Challenge the status quo and vote. The US is in SHOCKING contrast to the rest of the world on this issue. Most of the world offers between 14-24+ weeks of paid maternity leave. Of 188 countries that have known maternity leave policies, the US is one of EIGHT (joining Suriname, Liberia, Palau, Nauru, Western Samoa, Tonga, and Papua New Guinea) that offer no paid leave to new moms. We can do better.

As always, reminding you to build wealth by following the two PFC rules: 1.) Live below your means and 2.) Invest early and often.

-Jeremy