Sweden Dictates One Answer on Child Care 

Politicians in Sweden are concerned with gender equality and work opportunities. 

If we view the lives of Western women through the lens of 21st-century age demography, the limitations of the lifestyles Ms. Komisar describes become even more apparent. Take the 32-year-old friend Ms. Komisar mentions, who is likely to live about another 50 years. A profound benefit of our era’s longevity is the ability to build into our lives distinct phases of education, work and enjoyment, which could include a 10-year period of full-time parenting if one is able to afford it. If a Swedish woman works for 10 years and then bears children for whom she becomes a full-time parent for 10 years, she may still have another 40 years to work, go back to school, continue as a “full-time parent” or something else yet to be invented. We have reached a milestone, which, for the history of humanity has been unimaginable. The once extravagant prospect of growing old has become the norm. It’s too bad the Swedish government’s approach to child care, parenting, work and retirement lacks the imagination today’s miracle of longevity affords. 

Michael W. Hodin, Ph.D.
New York, NY
CEO, Global Coalition on Aging