Productivity of Parenting
2008-03-08 12:14:00.0
AUTHOR: Denise Krum
We live in a society that values high levels of activity and productivity and we all come under its powerful spell. As the political players on the right appear to be growing in strength, this value will only become more prominent. Productivity is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that there is a whole swag of society whose productivity levels cannot be easily measured and rewarded. They are the parents who stay at home (either full time or part time) to devote time & energy to raising their young kids.
Of course one could argue that their reward is to look upon their offspring with satisfaction, but let’s face it, that doesn’t hold hardly any weight when they compile their next CV or get asked at a party “And what is it that you do?” There needs to be increased and tangible measures of recognition for those taking temporary time out from market levels of productivity to develop children. Why can’t that increased recognition come from the leadership of this country, aka. the government?
Income Splitting is a measure we have been proposing for a long time whereby households have all their income (even when perhaps only one partner earned it all) split in half for tax purposes. For many young families it could take them to a lower tax bracket and reclaim some precious dollars in their household budget. Furthermore, it recognizes that both partners, whether one earns a salary or not, each contribute 50% to the management, the ‘value’, the productivity of their house.
The importance of being able to choose to stay at home if desired to develop kids in their formative years is legitimate and cannot be underestimated. In our modern, inclusive society that values personal freedom and diversity, having the chance to choose should be supported.