If I Were President: An Executive Order for Families

This is a fun game I’ll play from time to time.  I’ll tell you an idea I have, and it has to be more legal than If I Were Supreme Commander of the World.  That would be more idealistic (as would If I Were Congress, because they make the laws).  If you have an If I Were President Idea too, let us know.

If I were president, I’d issue an executive order that all federal employees with children less than two years old be offered part-time work for part-time pay.  People could obviously continue to work full-time if they choose.  This would not change maternity leave laws, but if both parents are federal employees, it would only apply to one parent.  Certain necessary jobs would be exempted.  I’d also hope that this would spread to private corporations.  Many companies use pro-family policies as a way to lure the best and brightest.

This order would be great for women because it gives them more options.  Just like men, women are vital raising children and in the workplace, but the fact is that moms tend to sacrifice work for families more than dads.  With this order, women have another option in dealing with what has become an impossible balance for them.

The old saying is that money is power, and so this order also increases women’s power in our society and puts them on more equal footing with men.  This would allow women to continue to take on more of the burden of raising families than men, but not all of the burden, if they choose.  For a lot of women, working is a safe and empowering way to raise a family.

This order is great for families.  We can stick our head in the sand and say there’s only one-way to raise a family, or we can face reality.  While some women who would have stayed home may stay in the workplace, other women who would have worked full time are now spending more time with their kids.  And for people who need money but don’t want to or can’t leave their kids all day, I think this is invaluable.

I haven’t seen any studies on what something like this would cost.  That’s an important factor, but when we consider priorities, strong families should be near the top.  And by keeping more women in the workplace, their college skills will not atrophy, and we’ll benefit over time.  Oh and finally, I'd get re-elected because it's such a popular idea.