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Finland maternity box

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Politics & Debate
Has anyone else read this?

Just wondering what your thoughts are really! I think it's a great thing, and a really good start for a baby to have in life.

Do you think anything like that would be feasible in this country? I'm not sure the government would ever be able to make it work to be honest! They aren't very good at budgeting ;)

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I need to move to a scandeweigan country. I think it's fabulous
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote: »
    I need to move to a scandeweigan country.

    For all those babies?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    For all of everyone thing they seem to get right with their welfare system
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    People on benefits already get a maternity grant in the UK. It's £500, which is significantly more than what Finnish parents get. Admittedly not everyone's entitled to it though.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Do you not think the box full of things would be better than money? I think the box gives every baby a great start in life, all the essentials for the first few months are provided. There's always a danger with money that the parents will spend it on things it wasn't meant for, I know some parents accept the money in Finland but it's a minority, and the box seems like a great idea.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was reading about that box the other day and thought it was an awesome idea, and by the looks of it a very welcome tradition over there too!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    what's nice about the box in finland, is that the cash grant is valued at less than the box.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's a good idea, but don't a lot of new parents get showered in this sort of stuff by friends/family anyway? I could be wrong though
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    It's a good idea, but don't a lot of new parents get showered in this sort of stuff by friends/family anyway? I could be wrong though

    I suppose some people do, but if you don't have many people around you or you're from a poorer background you might not.

    I just think it's nice that EVERY baby gets the same, no matter what their background.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it's great. They do mean that the money does go to the intended cause. I wonder if the box being used as a cot has anything to do with reduced rates of cot death?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I like how condoms are included :P
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    JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    I think it's an excellent idea, I think it'd be a great idea over here.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It might work well in countries with a much smaller population. I don't think it would work here though, not with the current climate anyway. And what are our current infant mortality rates?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    25th lowest infant mortality rate, where as Finland is 4th http://http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    I like how condoms are included :P

    You often get a bag of free condoms if you give birth in a UK hospital.

    As if a tiny, wailing, vomitous shit-producer on a 20-minute sleep cycle wasn't contraception enough.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That's interesting. But looking at this it seems the main culprit is multiple births/low birth weight and smoking. So I'm not sure how helpful the box would be in reducing infant mortality if they're the main culprits. I think a few years ago expectant mothers used to get a free 'bounty box' which was pretty similar? Not sure if they still do it though

    http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/child-mortality-statistics--childhood--infant-and-perinatal/2011/sty-infant-mortality.html
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You still get Bounty packs, but they aren't really the same thing. Bounty are a private company who pay the NHS to be allowed into maternity wards to steal new mums' details so they can shameless sell them on to every bugger going. And they try to sweeten the deal by throwing in a few free samples.
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    JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    Kaff wrote: »

    As if a tiny, wailing, vomitous shit-producer on a 20-minute sleep cycle wasn't contraception enough.
    Lovely.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it's a great idea, but we do live in a country of 'taxpayer alliance' types. So no chance.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it sounds lovely. This country could do it, if it learnt how to budget.

    On a side note, did you see the article about putting the babies outside to sleep. Apparently it is very popular. Baby goes outside to sleep, parent gets coffee! Good deal! Though in this country I think the baby would be stolen....
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    purpledhaze wrote: »
    I think it sounds lovely. This country could do it, if it learnt how to budget.

    On a side note, did you see the article about putting the babies outside to sleep. Apparently it is very popular. Baby goes outside to sleep, parent gets coffee! Good deal! Though in this country I think the baby would be stolen....

    I'm not sure why anyone would want to steal a screaming poop and vomit machine.
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