A huge part of people's wellbeing depends on how they brought up of their kids is going. Whether it's too hard or it is easy. This subject hardly gets much coverage in the American politics but is seen to be relatively active when even Donald Trump claims that he believes that women should have better work-life balance.
There's a mutual understanding emerging among the voters that the American government pays little attention and almost zero support for childcare. And the stress brought on the local parents due to this isn't normal when compared with other economically successful countries.
Most rich countries offer parents support in their children's early years whereas Americans get nothing. According to a blog in New York Times, the largest "happiness gap" among 22 countries is witnessed in America, as put forward in the study in The American Journal of Sociology. It is observed that parents in America are 12 percent less happy than non-parents.
According to the New York Times, the main causes of this unhappiness is the lack of paid vacations, sick leaves and high costs of childcare. When compared with France - where parents are happier than non-parents- parenting is consuming but not overwhelming. The government is supporting in numerous ways.
First, they offer high quality daycare, billed on a sliding scale. Second, free preschooler for children aged 3 and above. For older kids they've chipped in for after school activities and summer camps. Above all college costs less than $500 a year.
Countries such as Europe and Canada, the governments are way more giving than in America. Even in Ukraine, the government offers paid maternity leave, practically free preschool and per-baby payments equivalent to eight months of an average salary.
American parenting traditions, however, are quite a shock for foreigners. A normal C-section in America can cost up to $46,000 whereas in a public hospital in London, a woman can give birth practically at no charge.
Even though Britain is considered less generous by rich countries standards, it still offers paid parental leave, 15 hours a week of free preschool. On the contrary, American government offers nothing to children under age five.
The sad part is that most Americans consider this normal and blame themselves when they can't make this back-breaking routine work. They don't realize how terribly they are being treated. All over Europe, except in Sweden and Britain, taxes are slightly higher than in America but they get much more in return.
Things, however, may take a U-turn after the upcoming American elections as both candidates, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, are discussing parenting issues in their election campaigns. According to The Big Story, Trump is in need of female votes and proposes to put forward a plan for six weeks of paid leave for mothers and tax credits for parents.
Trump also proposed to reduce regulations on childcare "to allow the market to work." Hillary Clinton's proposals, on the other hand, included 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for man and women, reduction of childcare costs and higher wages for childcare workers who are currently paid less than janitors!
Clinton recently named Heather Boushey, who specializes in the issues of working families, as her chief economist of her transition team. It is widely known among prominent educated people that Mrs. Hilary Clinton knows these matters better than any other set of issues. Mrs. Clinton also helped found in 2013, an organization to support of children 5 and under.
She also formed national childcare strategy-addressing cost, quality and access. Dr. Jane Waldfogel of the Columbia University of Social Work has predicted that Mrs. Clinton could "work with a Republican Congress to find some middle ground and get this stuff done." With that said, it's safe to assume that voting for Hilary Clinton make actually make America great at least make it a little more like the rest of the world.
