August in Europe with 2 kids + newborn

[Anonymous]

I'd love to know what companies are offering 20 weeks of paid leave. I don't doubt they exists. But that is not the reality for 99% of US workers. Heck, an alarming number of new parents have ZERO protected unpaid leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When people start using paid parental leave to travel like this, that’s how you know it’s nothing to do with recovery and bonding and instead just extra time off at the expense of the company and other employees. It’s not a good look.

I literally know no one who has done this (sounds like hell IMO) but really, what's it to you where they spend their parental leave. Plenty of people take their newborns to visit the grandparents, etc. during that time because once you're back at work it becomes a lot harder to take time off. MYOB.

It is our business. We all pay for long paid parental leaves.

So no travel at all during maternity leave? Not even a week at Rehoboth? The whole family is grounded?

Is it recovery or a paid vacation? This wasn't an issue back when leaves were 8 weeks because no one felt like traveling. But now that we are funding 20 week leaves for people, they are essentially on paid vacation for the last 12 weeks of it.

Does your company offer 20 weeks now and you’re bitter you missed out or something? Also a 20-week old isn’t a newborn, they’re an infant.

Honestly I feel sorry for people like you that brood over this kind of stuff. I didn’t get paid parental leave either and I’m glad it’s slowly becoming more widespread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When people start using paid parental leave to travel like this, that’s how you know it’s nothing to do with recovery and bonding and instead just extra time off at the expense of the company and other employees. It’s not a good look.

I literally know no one who has done this (sounds like hell IMO) but really, what's it to you where they spend their parental leave. Plenty of people take their newborns to visit the grandparents, etc. during that time because once you're back at work it becomes a lot harder to take time off. MYOB.

It is our business. We all pay for long paid parental leaves.

Who is we? The US has zero paid leave. Does the OP even have paid leave, or is their job just being held until they get back? Does it even matter?

You can bond with a baby in literally any location. Maternity leave is not *just* for physical recovery, bonding (even the narrow definition you have for it), it's so that the parents don't have to be away from their baby for 8+ hours a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When people start using paid parental leave to travel like this, that’s how you know it’s nothing to do with recovery and bonding and instead just extra time off at the expense of the company and other employees. It’s not a good look.

I literally know no one who has done this (sounds like hell IMO) but really, what's it to you where they spend their parental leave. Plenty of people take their newborns to visit the grandparents, etc. during that time because once you're back at work it becomes a lot harder to take time off. MYOB.

It is our business. We all pay for long paid parental leaves.

So no travel at all during maternity leave? Not even a week at Rehoboth? The whole family is grounded?

Is it recovery or a paid vacation? This wasn't an issue back when leaves were 8 weeks because no one felt like traveling. But now that we are funding 20 week leaves for people, they are essentially on paid vacation for the last 12 weeks of it.

Does your company offer 20 weeks now and you’re bitter you missed out or something? Also a 20-week old isn’t a newborn, they’re an infant.

Honestly I feel sorry for people like you that brood over this kind of stuff. I didn’t get paid parental leave either and I’m glad it’s slowly becoming more widespread.

Also what you're describing sounds more like short-term disability, which is ABSOLUTELY NOT paid parental leave. It's the bare minimum that employers offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fully recognize this is crazy but it’s a big milestone year for our family with a lot to celebrate and we are hoping to make a last minute trip to Europe this August with our kids (8, 5 + newborn).

Any recommendations for places to visit? Europe trips pre kids and when the oldest was young was a mix of beaches, mountains and cities with multiple stops. We generally like multi stop itineraries and would like to plan for 2-3 places.

We have travel points to burn, no real budget in mind and 2-3 weeks to set aside.

We have been considering these but are open to suggestions:

Switzerland
Greece (loved it when we went but harder with kids?
Italy
Denmark
France (countryside + coast preferred).
Belgium
Germany

Please share any ideas you have! Or travel agent/planner recommendations!

For most of the places you want to go, the good accommodation has been reserved months ago. Do you plan on taking your kiddos sightseeing in really hot weather after suffering through a long flight hauling all that newborn baby stuff? Could you not celebrate whatever by renting a nice house in a kid-friendly location closer to home?