A Redditor Says They're 'Angry & Envious' About A Difference Between Canada & Their Country

Becoming a new parent is usually meant to be a joyous time in life, but for some, the cost of taking time off to care for an infant is either difficult or impossible.

In a Reddit thread on the subreddit r/TrueOffMyChest, which is "a place to get personal things off your chest," someone got real about the difference between giving birth in Canada and their own country.

"My cousin's wife gave birth 3 days after my wife. April 9 vs. April 12," wrote the original poster.

"My wife goes back to work on Tuesday and all her leave was unpaid," they explained in June, which was around two months after the date of birth of their child.

The difference between their spouse's time off versus their cousins was quite stark.

"Because my cousin's wife is in Canada, she doesn't go back until October 10, 2023, and gets almost her full salary," they explained. "I'm envious and angry."

While the original poster didn't say where their family is located, many appeared to think they were based in the U.S. and offered commentary and commiseration based on that speculation.

"We live in South Korea and I myself was approved for a one-year paternity leave," said one person, noting his wife received over a year off. "It is simply astounding how the U.S. lacks any basic family care."

"We are much happier living abroad and I cannot fathom ever returning home anytime soon," they continued. "Receiving the $0 hospital bill after being discharged was a huge bonus for us."

"We do definitely have very generous parental leave in Canada," said another. "Shame you guys don’t have the same."

"My mom's Canadian, she had a double lung transplant three years ago and her medical bill was a big fat zero," one person said of our health care. "I’ve been living in Florida for 20 years and I miss my Canadian socialized medicine."

"The best way to describe it is that the U.S. is a 2nd world country with a 1st world mindset," one Redditor wrote. "The wealthy are well off and happy and everyone else has it absolutely trash. Our infrastructure, education, and health care is sh*te. Some places don't even have clean water or safe air."

While time off for parents in Canada depends on a variety of other factors, in March it was reported that the feds are set to introduce a new 15-week parental benefit in Canada in addition to the already existing maternity and paternity leave.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.