I disagree with this. I think raising children is very valuable to you, your family and to our society as a whole but I don’t think it needs to be seen as valuable to your career. You shouldn’t be penalized for having time off to have a baby but I think, in the vast majority of jobs, it’s not really adding value to you in your career. And yes, I have two children and have had time off when they were babies but do I think that time gave me extra skills and knowledge in my job compared to someone that hasn’t raised a child? Not really…