In Portugal dos Pequeninos, caring for children continues to be a hassle for adults

Parenthood in Portugal continues to be treated as a matter of agenda, when it should be understood as a fundamental responsibility. And this difference isn't just semantic; it's structural. In politics, public discourse, and often in workplace decisions, having children is welcomed, but seen as a "personal project" with implications for others. As if it were simply a choice two adults make and employers, the state, and society in general must tolerate.

This may be a harsh interpretation, but proof of this is the recent draft labor law that, among other measures, limits parental rights such as the withdrawal of paid leave due to pregnancy bereavement for the father or the limitation of time off for breastfeeding, showing that parenthood is still seen more as a problem to be managed than as a priority to be protected.

We often forget that when we talk about parenting, we're talking about children and, consequently, our future as a society. Yet, the way the country discusses parental rights rarely focuses on children. Adults remain the focus. Legislation is analyzed through the lens of its impact on the company, shifts, and absences. And child well-being appears secondary when it should be the main argument.

This week marks World Breastfeeding Week. It's a good time to remember that, according to data from the Directorate-General for Health, in 2024 only 21.8% of women will continue to breastfeed exclusively at six months, despite all the WHO recommendations. And yet, mothers who breastfeed beyond the first year, who, judging by the numbers, are far from the majority, continue to be looked down upon, as if they were taking advantage of a lenient system. Anyone who has breastfed knows: there's nothing lenient about the physical and mental demands it entails.

In a country where time always seems scarce, prolonged breastfeeding has become, for some, synonymous with "less work." Setting aside two hours a day for breastfeeding is not a privilege, but rather a way to ensure that the mother—one of the primary caregivers—can be more present in the child's life at a crucial time in their development.

The debate on breastfeeding, in fact, needs to mature. The two-hour leave from work exists to allow the mother to breastfeed, but also to ensure quality time with the child. That's why legislation already provides that, up to the first year of life, this right can be enjoyed regardless of breastfeeding, and by either parent. Reducing this measure exclusively to the act of breastfeeding ignores the fact that bonding, presence, and care are as important as the milk itself. This is a right that must be reinforced and extended to all mothers (and fathers) of babies beyond the first year of life, not limited to them.

Unfortunately, the government's proposal to revise labor legislation has not helped improve the debate. The measures presented—still in draft form, admittedly—raise several questions: an end to paternal bereavement leave, a limitation on breastfeeding leave for up to two years, obstacles to flexible working hours, and a new parental leave scheme still shrouded in doubt. But the problem isn't just the changes themselves; it's what they reveal: a view of parenthood as an administrative exception rather than a social investment.

This difficulty was evident in recent statements by the Minister of Labor, who justified the change in breastfeeding exemptions based on "cases" where abuse of rights was suspected. The problem? No data was presented. No numbers, no reports, no studies. Just a subjective perception based on "hearsay." If we were to take everything "we hear" at face value, we would run the risk of creating laws to control imaginary abuses and ignore real needs. Legislating based on exceptions and "guesswork" is not only risky, it's unfair. Especially when such legislation affects a right that directly protects childcare time.

And it's noticeable. According to Eurostat data released in 2019, Portugal was one of the European countries where children spent the most time in daycare: around 39 hours per week, on average, up to the age of three. In other words, hours almost equal to those of their parents. This number alone clearly reveals the extent to which professional and family life continue to misalign. The time spent with children depends less on the parents' wishes and more on the structure of daily life.

The advances of recent years seem to give the impression that all of this is a "luxury," an "extra," or a "perk." And those without children often see these measures as an unfair advantage. The result is a biased debate, where people argue about whether mothers are abusing their breastfeeding leave or whether fathers should actually be entitled to paid bereavement leave. Isn't having a child a couple's project?

And we continue to focus the discussion on the adult, but what is really at stake—time, bonding, the child's development—is rarely the center of the conversation.

It's true that legislating on parenthood involves delicate balances. But perhaps the starting point should be different: not the impact on adults' service records, but the rights of those who still have no voice and who will depend, for a few years, on the time, attention, and presence of their caregivers.

Parenthood isn't a favor done to the country; it's a pillar of its continuity. And protecting those who care is, above all, protecting those who grow up. Everything else should adapt accordingly, not the other way around. After all, having children is a cyclical process. And if, as a society, we want it to endure, the discussion must change.