Moving to Finland

Okay, so it is possible that we are not moving to Finland.  It is also possible that if I actually consider moving to Finland you all should quickly remind me that I have lamented our tendency to swing between regions with extreme temperatures rather than settling down in a nice, temperate zone.  However, Finland does have some pretty nice maternity/paternity/baby deals.

For instance, if you are a mom-to-be, you have the right to go on maternity live 50 days before your due date (at the earliest) and you have a maternity allowance paid to you for the first 105 days after your baby is born (not including Sundays or holidays - and if your employer pays you while you are on leave then the government pays your employer the maternity allowance).  The allowance is based on your salary, but there is a minimum, and if you were a student and not working or were not employed then you get the allowance (minimum) all the same.  Now, I have no idea how much it costs to live in Finland, but I still ascribe to the theory that some money is better than no money - can I get a witness?

On top of these benefits, I was amazed to see that every Finnish family-to-be (by birth or adoption) gets a pretty kicking "maternity package."  While the snowsuit, hat, and insulated mittens and booties might not be as critical here in Colombia, the balaclava would fit right in (in its own way...) and the onesies and jumpers and mattress/cover/sheets (and more) would be grand.  I would add a sun hat, sunscreen, and earplugs for overly amplified church services, but a little tweak here, a little tweak there and it still seems like a very good deal.  The package is valued at about 275 Euros (around $362 USD and $663,233 COP), so it is clearly nothing to sneeze at.  And if you do sneeze, you can use the included muslin squares to wipe your nose afterward.

It seems they thought of everything...

(PS. The real "mother/parent-lode" seems to be in Sweden where you get 480 days - that is 16 months - of leave with 80% of your salary for the first 390 days and the remaining 90 days at a flat rate.  A minimum of 60 days of this leave must be shared with dad, but you can divide it up however you wish.  Okay, so Sweden anyone?)