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Being a foreigner, leagues and bosses were not happy to have them
back after giving birth. Last year, a Japanese
sometimes I’m governor took paternity leave (just two hours
per day) and it became big news. Most Japanese
surprised to see people criticised him a lot.
On the other hand, in the US, it’s be-
the difference coming more normal to take maternity/pater-
between Japan nity leave. My husband used paternity leave
when we had a second child. He could use three
and the US. months, but he used two months in total and
was paid 75% of his salary. I asked my husband
what his colleagues and boss think about him
taking paternity leave. He said that it’s a law,
so who cares?
The Juggle is Real
Motherhood taught me to be more tough
and patient. To take care of kids, you have to
be very patient. For example, sometimes my
daughter wants to wear her clothes by herself.
Even if we need to leave soon, I usually wait
Paternity Leave & New Normal for her. Any daily life activities including chang-
ing, eating, even playing – kids are trying to
As of 2020, Washington State started figure out how to do all those activities by
having a family leave program. I had my daugh- trying. I also now always think, “How can I help
ter in 2019, so there wasn’t any leave available my daughter to get better with ____?” I think
for me at that time. I wish I could have used the in order to train baristas or be an owner of cafe,
policy. It could have helped us a lot. Especially one needs this kind of patience. Now if I go
with my first pregnancy. After I had my daugh- back to work, I’m pretty sure that I will have
ter, I stayed home for three months and then I more patience and can help other baristas be-
went back to work. If I could use the paid leave, come better.
I could get paid while I was taking maternity As a mother of two, and especially
leave. My boss felt sorry for me because she because their ages are so close, I don’t think
wanted to help me. I can go back to work in the near future.
A R C I N C L I N E
Same year I had my son. I was not work- However, it doesn’t stop me from thinking PARALLEL PARALLEL PLUS
ing so I couldn’t use family leave then, either, about coffee and starting a new business.
but my husband was able to. He could use 12 With my husband’s help, I started teaching
weeks paid leave. That helped us a lot because people how to use an espresso machine and
we have a daughter who is still 14 months old grinder properly at home. Also, I help cli-
that time and because of COVID-19, we could ents, who never had a coffee business be-
hardly get any help from friends or family. My fore, to start it. This way, I can still be with
husband used the paid leave and he could stay my kids and stay in the coffee industry.
home and take care of our daughter and do Eventually, I would like to open my own
house chores while I was taking care of our son. coffee shop, so I can still be with my kids
In my culture, it is very rare to take and, at the same time, I can be a barista.
paternity leave because Japanese still think that I see many successful female baristas
women are supposed to take care of kids at who have kids and have a great careers so
home. Not men. After giving birth, women are I’ll tell you this: Don’t neglect your kids.
expected to quit. It has started changing a bit, They need you and you can always come
but I still hear from my friends that their col- back to work later.
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