Latest news with #ChamberofMothers
New York Post
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
‘Latte Dads' are the latest Swedish parenting phenomenon — and American moms are extremely jealous: ‘Ridiculously hot'
Swedish dads are taking paternity leave — and turning up the heat. Meet the Nordic nation's so-called 'latte dads' — stroller-pushing, baby-wearing hunks who spend their days on generous paid time off benefits sipping coffee in cafes, chatting about diaper rash, and somehow looking like H&M models while doing it. 'One of the things that stood out to me was all these mostly ridiculously hot guys that are just better with babies than any woman I've ever met,' Chana Svensson, who moved from Florida to Sweden while pregnant, told TODAY in a recent interview. Advertisement 'It's something in the water here.' In America, new mamas are lucky to get two weeks before heading back to the office with a breast pump in one hand and a spreadsheet in the other — never mind the papas. Swedish dads are taking paternity leave — and setting parenting (and hearts) on fire. These Nordic hunks aren't just changing diapers — they're changing the game. tiktok/@babybjorn Advertisement In Sweden? Dads like Chana's firefighter husband Johan are off the clock — and on baby duty. 'It's something special, being home with him by yourself from the beginning, for sure,' Johan told the outlet. Though he added, 'A lot of grey hairs were born for me during that time.' Thanks to Sweden's sweet-as-a-pastry policy — a whopping 480 days of paid leave per kid — moms and dads can tag-team diaper duty straight through the terrible twos. tiktok/@babybjorn Advertisement Thanks to the country's cushy policy — 480 days of paid leave per child — Swedish couples can tag-team childcare well into toddlerhood. The government foots up to 80% of your salary, and parents can use the days any time before the child turns 12. Back in the US, that sounds like a fantasy to exhausted moms like Erin Erenberg, co-founder of the Chamber of Mothers. 'We are really, truly at the bottom of the heap when it comes to paid family medical leave,' she told TODAY. Advertisement @babybjorn Spotted: Latte Dads in the wild. 👀 This fun term describes dads on parental leave, grabbing coffee while out with their little ones. But did you know? In 1974, Sweden became the first country to introduce parental leave instead of maternity leave—giving dads a bigger role at home, and paving the way for the nurturing Latte Dad. 👶☕ #babybjorn #lattedad #lattepappa ♬ original sound – BabyBjörn 'Every other country in the world has it, except for micro islands.' Erenberg watched a satirical 'latte dad' TikTok video by Baby Björn and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 'I was jealous!' she admitted. In the comments section of the viral clip, one user wrote, 'Positive masculinity is so attractive.' Another gushed, 'Beautiful! That's the type of masculinity we want to see.' Others, however, were calling Captain Obvious. 'Not men being celebrated for taking care of their own children,' one wrote as someone else replied, 'love how they praise men for *normal parenting.*' New Swedish dads who take paternity leave are also far less likely to booze themselves into the hospital, according to a 2023 Stockholm University study. 'We found that after the [fathers' paternal leave policy in Sweden] was implemented, there was a 34% decrease in [alcohol-related] hospitalizations among fathers in the two years after birth,' wrote lead author Helena Honkaniemi. Advertisement 'Fathers who spend more time at home may also be encouraged to practice greater behavioral self-regulation around their children,' the report noted, as previously reported by The Post. Since Sweden introduced paid parental leave in 1974, the number of days claimed by fathers has jumped from just 1% to 30%. When dads were granted 30 days of leave in 1995, participation shot up to 75% — along with noticeable mental health benefits. Advertisement Today, Swedish parents get a whopping 480 days of job-protected leave to split, most of it paid at about 80% of their salaries. Overall, who knew equal parenting, great cheekbones, and government support could be so… sexy?
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Trump administration wants women to have more babies
Good morning! Female U.S. soldiers must now pass a "sex-neutral" physical test, L.A. mayor Karen Bass proposes government workforce layoffs, and the Trump administration may incentivize women to have more babies. - Baby boom. The Trump administration has been soliciting ideas for ways to entice Americans to have more children, according to a report in the New York Times, in an effort to combat what it sees as a crisis of falling birth rates in the U.S. Some of the proposals reportedly being floated: a $5,000 cash "baby bonus," government-funded educational programs on menstrual cycles, and a "National Medal of Motherhood" awarded to mothers with six or more children. The idea generation is the clearest example yet of the Trump administration's embrace of "a new cultural agenda pushed by many of its allies on the right to reverse declining birthrates and push conservative family values," the Times reports. Indeed, Trump, who has described himself as the "fertilization president," is surrounded by folks like tech billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, who could be described as pro-natalist. Project 2025, the ultra-conservative blueprint for Trump's second term, calls for the promotion of heterosexual marriages and restricting reproductive rights and health care. Critics have been quick to point out that structural changes that could actually help families long term—paid parental leave, affordable housing and childcare—are not among the ideas listed in the story. And when the average out-of-pocket costs for giving birth in the U.S. total $2,854 for those with insurance while part-time childcare costs $6,000 a year on the low end, any baby bonus won't go very far. "Proposals like 'baby bonuses' or 'menstrual cycle classes' don't just miss the point, they leave millions of women unheard, yet again," says Erin Erenberg, CEO and cofounder of Chamber of Mothers, a nonpartisan 501c3 organization advocating for maternal and parental rights. "Most women we hear from aren't opting out of motherhood—rather, they simply can't afford it. That's not a cultural crisis. That's a policy failure." Countries across Asia and Europe are also struggling with falling birth rates, and many have tried similar incentives. South Korea, which has the lowest birth rate in the world, has introduced a baby bonus, as has Singapore. At least in South Korea, the generous government benefits are so far not enough: The fertility rate in 2024 was 0.75, a small increase from the previous year. Back in the U.S., critics point to other moves made by the Trump administration that seem to belie its stated desire for a "baby boom." It recently made large cuts to the Department of Health and Human Service's Division of Reproductive Health, which handles issues related to maternal and infant health. Republicans also opposed the extension of the expanded child tax credit, which helped significantly reduce child poverty under President Joe Biden. The Trump administration's aggressive immigration and deportation strategies are counter to the goal of growing the population. And in many red states, anti-abortion legislation is actively harming women and mothers who miscarry. Overall maternal mortality rates in the U.S. almost doubled between 2014 and 2021. "Parenthood doesn't need to be incentivized—it needs to be supported every step of the way," says Erenberg. "If we want a thriving nation, we start by making sure its mothers are healthy, supported, and whole." Needless to say, a motherhood medal won't accomplish that. Alicia The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune's daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today's edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here. This story was originally featured on
