Forum Asks Fathers to Take Extra Leave for Toddlers

BANGKOK, February 19 (TNA) - As mothers are allowed by Thai law to take a 90-day leave while receiving full pay to look after their new born babies, a campaign is being launched to get fathers to do the same. A forum was organised in Bangkok on Sunday by the Thai Breastfeeding Centre to highlight the role of fathers in society in looking after the new born. Speaking at the forum, novelist Saran Maitrivej stressed that as mothers are allowed by Thai law to take a 90-day leave with full pay to look after their babies, fathers should be able do the same. She pointed that taking leave will allow fathers to take better care of the mothers, free them of household duties, and contribute more to the breastfeeding process, which is found to help toddlers earn higher IQs if performed with care. Meanwhile, associate professor Parina Srivanich, assistant to rector of Chulalongkorn University, admitted stress was an obstacle to breastfeeding her children during the first six months after her delivery. She attributed the problem to her husband’s abrupt 15-day work leave, while noting that in developed countries like Norway, fathers get up to 10 weeks off to help mothers take care of the new born. Senior government administrators should better understand the law as it is essential for creating happiness in the society, she added.