Two Sarahs: new motherhood in Sweden vs Seattle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on what you want and what your education level is. For a highly educated person, you can probably get more here and negotiate a better salary and work life balance. If you are sort of mediocre in terms of skills, then sweden is probably better.

Ha! The best you can get in the US is about 6 months maternity leave. That’s the minimum you get in Sweden. A highly skilled professional is much much better off in Sweden than the US.

I can make way more here--enough that I can take off a long time from work with and without pay and still be better off than in Sweden.

Good for you!

However, judging by the much higher female participation rate in the Swedish economy, that’s not what happens for most people. I don’t understand why it’s hard to understand that more women would stay in the workforce if they had access to paid leave.

It's a different set of values. Many Americans including many American women, especially those who have clawed their way to the top, do not support a higher female participation rate. At least not enough to create policies to drive it. We live in an idiocracy that disregards the hard data that shows the higher the rate of female participation in the labor force, the better the economy.

It's the reason the birth rate has slowed down so much, far below replacement level, and continues to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then why don't more of you move there?

I wish I could. The problem is, we would be leaving behind two sets of aging parents. And by the time they pass, I'll be too old for such a move - learning a new language, starting a new career...

They likely wouldn't let you in. Countries with great social nets usually have homogeneous populations and very strict immigration laws.

+1

[Anonymous]

But Sweden has a mix of capitalism and socialism. Socialism would never work here in the US!

[Anonymous]

People saying Sweden has a “homogeneous” population have never been there. I visited family in Sweden recently and I was surprised by the number of immigrants even in small towns in the middle of nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People saying Sweden has a “homogeneous” population have never been there. I visited family in Sweden recently and I was surprised by the number of immigrants even in small towns in the middle of nowhere.

Yes. I think a lot of people on this thread have never set foot in Sweden and just don’t want to admit that another country has a superior system for women. About 20 percent of Sweden’s population is foreign born, which is a lot.
https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/10/nearly-1-5-of-swedens-population-is-now-foreign-born/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there are other ways Sweden is very dangerous for women.

L
O
L

Name one

+1. Snort. The US has far higher rates of mortality for women than Sweden, particularly post partum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then why don't more of you move there?

I wish I could. The problem is, we would be leaving behind two sets of aging parents. And by the time they pass, I'll be too old for such a move - learning a new language, starting a new career...

They likely wouldn't let you in. Countries with great social nets usually have homogeneous populations and very strict immigration laws.

BINGO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather be in the USA and choose to work for a company with work life balance if that's what I desire in my life versus being forced to subsidize Sarah Sweden.

+ 1

If you are middle class or higher, living standards are much higher in the US than in Europe. And the baby stage is a short period in life, relatively speaking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But Sweden has a mix of capitalism and socialism. Socialism would never work here in the US!

Because the truth is, people don't want to subside others who are not just like them racially, socially, ethnically, you name it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather be in the USA and choose to work for a company with work life balance if that's what I desire in my life versus being forced to subsidize Sarah Sweden.

+ 1

If you are middle class or higher, living standards are much higher in the US than in Europe. And the baby stage is a short period in life, relatively speaking.

Yeah, well... many of us are barely hanging on to middle class, especially considering the high cost of living here. One serious recession and job loss, and many middle class folks will fall right off into the precipice of poverty with no social system to support us. Most of this country is always on the verge of financial ruin and they don't even know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People saying Sweden has a “homogeneous” population have never been there. I visited family in Sweden recently and I was surprised by the number of immigrants even in small towns in the middle of nowhere.

Yes. I think a lot of people on this thread have never set foot in Sweden and just don’t want to admit that another country has a superior system for women. About 20 percent of Sweden’s population is foreign born, which is a lot.
https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/10/nearly-1-5-of-swedens-population-is-now-foreign-born/

And you know who doesn't want them there? The Swedes. Go ahead read to the bottom of the article and click into the Pew study. Now imagine being a Iraqi woman in Sweden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paid maternity leave went up from 12 weeks to 26 weeks fairly recently in India. Canada has a generous maternity/paternity leave policy. US is very backward.

Well, we are broke for various reasons. Now isnt the time for more "free" stuff. Pay down the debt and we will start talking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People saying Sweden has a “homogeneous” population have never been there. I visited family in Sweden recently and I was surprised by the number of immigrants even in small towns in the middle of nowhere.

Yes. I think a lot of people on this thread have never set foot in Sweden and just don’t want to admit that another country has a superior system for women. About 20 percent of Sweden’s population is foreign born, which is a lot.
https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/10/nearly-1-5-of-swedens-population-is-now-foreign-born/

And you know who doesn't want them there? The Swedes. Go ahead read to the bottom of the article and click into the Pew study. Now imagine being a Iraqi woman in Sweden.

You don’t need to derail this thread with 6 posts complaining about immigrants and how you don’t think moms deserve maternity leave. Try consolidating your thoughts into one post like the grownups do. And despite the Swedes “not liking” immigrants, they still manage to treat them dignity and provide them with health care and maternity leave. Imagine that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather be in the USA and choose to work for a company with work life balance if that's what I desire in my life versus being forced to subsidize Sarah Sweden.

+ 1

If you are middle class or higher, living standards are much higher in the US than in Europe. And the baby stage is a short period in life, relatively speaking.

Yeah, well... many of us are barely hanging on to middle class, especially considering the high cost of living here. One serious recession and job loss, and many middle class folks will fall right off into the precipice of poverty with no social system to support us. Most of this country is always on the verge of financial ruin and they don't even know it.

If you were truly “barely hanging on” you wouldn’t be hanging out on DCUM. You’d be working a third job. We’re “in ruin” yet just last year we had the cash to cut taxes for the ultra rich who turned around and put their profits in offshore bank accounts rather than reinvest in their companies. And billions for new fighter jets. But we get it-supporting mothers in giving their child the best start in life isn’t one of your priorities.

[Anonymous]

The standard of living might be better here, but are we really better off for it? I grew up in England and moved here at 18 . I am now in my 40s. My standard of living is definitely better here but I am also fortunate enough to have good health insurance thru my employer. Am I better off really than I would be in England? I don’t think so, it’s different but that doesn’t make it better really.