Joys of Paternity Leave

by Robert Holland

Writing this surrounded by bottle warmers, baby grows and bath mats, while trying to figure out the mysterious workings of the nappy dispenser, my mind turns to the changes in family life brought about by the raft of “child friendly” legislation brought in over the last decade.

In days gone by, the arrival of a new child would see the man of the house adopt a familiar role. Supportive through the birth, he would do all he could through the initial couple of days. But as the excitement wore off, and Monday morning approached, a strange affliction would suddenly take hold.

Usually coinciding with bouts of “night deafness”, any requests for assistance would be met with the plea of “…but I’ve got work in the morning”. This simple retort would provide an escape route back to the office (and the golf course) within days of the new arrival.

But no more. Provided you have been with your employer for at least 26 weeks, and meet certain minimum requirements, fathers to be now qualify for one or two weeks of paid paternity leave. In addition, they now have the option of taking up to 13 weeks (unpaid) parental leave in total for each child up to their 5th birthday. These new rights mean the burden of bringing up young children should be shared more equally and family life improved.

My thoughts are suddenly disturbed. “Can you warm up the milk please?”, is shouted down the stairs. Now, what excuse can I think of to get back to the office?