That's 1 year of compensation for 18+ years of part-time labor, in countries with the most parental leave
Parents who are highly educated doctors, pilots etc argue that they should be able to stay at home for 1-2 years with almost full salary, which the tax payers should subsidise, and at the same time they also pay an uneducated 16 year old 10 bucks an hour to babysit when they go to the movies?
And you have 1 educated child care professional easily caring for 10 small children, and making a very modest salary.
It doesn't really add up.
Having young kids I think it's more like full time parenting, on top of any regular day job. Unless you can find a spouse willing to do all the kid work, which is like non-stop 12-16h days until all are in school.
Heaven forbid your SO wants to homeschool and expects you to do at least 40% of parenting, with your day job.
And one gives up so much time and energy being a parent, unless you're wealthy enough to outsource large chunks of the work. (Daycare in the US is 10-25K per year.)
The whole point is that being a parent is compensated in a way that no other choice is.
Parents take on a significant burden. They are compensated for it. There is no choice I can make as a non-parent that will provide me with similar compensation.
If just this financial support provided by some governments then consider you could take on a very low pay job with a nonprofit and get similar 'compensation'. Albeit spread across the length of that career instead of front loaded as paternity leave/credits.
> Some countries give more than a year paid parental leave
You yourself are making my point by saying “similar compensation” “albeit spread across the length of a career.” There is nothing for non-parents that is equivalent to parental leave.
And these leave benefits are just so miniscule compared to the effort and finances required for each child. So why complain about missing them?
> If society does nothing to help then more parents will choose to have fewer, or no, children.
Fewer people is our best option (it is still a terrible option, don't get me wrong) for mitigating the effects of climate change.
Your parents having you is a miniscule benefit to you?
That is my point.