Have we outgrown maternity leave?

The latest view of work/life balance for mothers is that maternity leave is an outmoded institution for high achievers with schedule flexibility. CEOs now boast of taking just two weeks off to recover from birth and to bond with the baby. Is maternity leave to be only for those with lowered career aspirations?

Some of these high flying mothers may be able work from home part of the work week, and thus have the baby close at hand for some bonding time. But others may not, and their children may be primarily in the care of a succession of nannies. I have a bias about this because I work directly with foster children, many of whom have attachment disorders caused by not having an available parental figure with whom they could bond during the critical period for this - 6 to 36 months of age. These emotionally crippling disorders often cannot be repaired.

Many working mothers in low wage jobs can't afford to take maternity leave. California has led efforts to remedy this with a family leave program financed by payroll deductions. But what will be the consequences of female role models creating the expectation that maternity leave - a right women fought so hard to attain - is passé?

The unavailability of part time work affects us all.

The Atlantic’s widely read July 2012 cover story, Why Women Still Can’t Have It All, observed that workplace structures make it almost impossible for mothers to have high pressure, long hours careers. Author Anne-Marie Slaughter wryly noted that, “In Washington, ‘leaving to spend time with your family,’ is a euphemism for being fired” for men, but is often the truth for women. Writer Anand Giridharadas responded that America may actually be worse off for being governed and managed by “single-minded, obsessive, fierce, hurried … self-serving [and] less-than-empathetic” alpha career types who largely “ignore their families.” He rightly wondered what biases affect policymakers who “have prioritized the making of social policy over their own families.”