Today is my day off, and I decided to watch the Oprah show. It was a show about mothers around the world. And there it was - the Kings Castle in Oslo. The show is visiting Norway, and they are saying it is the best place in the world to be a mom. So, I went to Oprah's webpage to see if I could find out more. This is what I found.
"According to the Seventh Annual Mother's Index, Norway is one of the top spots for moms!With free healthcare for children seven and under—and paid maternity leave that lasts a year—this Scandanavian paradise makes sure family comes first."It's a very family oriented society and the family is very important to the government," says Trine Grung, a mother of two, who calls Oslo, Norway, home.Along with extended maternity leave—which can be divided between a husband and wife—moms and dads each get 10 days off with pay to take care of their kids if they get sick! Plus, during the first few years, families can get about $100 a month from the government to help pay nanny costs.If your day care provider falls through? No problem! Trine says it's okay to take the kids to work for a day or two.Norway also encourages moms to breast-feed, and there are even cafés designed for nursing moms. "We don't flash the boob out in the cafe, but you can be discreet. Everybody does it," she says. And Trine means everybody—99 percent of Norwegian moms breast-feed!" (From the Oprah Show Web-page. http://www.oprah.com )
