I'm on paternity leave...

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Quintessa

Member
Jun 23, 2025
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I wouldn't say it is harder but it is different, you have to use completely different skills,
Hands-on parenting forces you to develop patience, empathy, and communication; skills most jobs never demand at this intensity. Without workplace and policy support though (paid leave, flexible schedules), it's hard for many fathers to fully engage without sacrificing career stability.
 

biostud

Lifer
Feb 27, 2003
19,820
6,907
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Hands-on parenting forces you to develop patience, empathy, and communication; skills most jobs never demand at this intensity. Without workplace and policy support though (paid leave, flexible schedules), it's hard for many fathers to fully engage without sacrificing career stability.
Yeah, before I became a father other babies and kids in the family didn't really trigger anything, now it is hand over that baby. :p

It definitely activated something that wasn't there before, and it has grown my confidence as a parent.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,876
11,016
136
Apparently that old school shit doesn't fly anymore. When my second kid was born I was at the hospital for the event. After the birth I went back to work and put in my 8. My wife cooked me dinner the first day she was home from the hospital.
We were just made of different stuff back then, shit had to get done, we made it happen. Everyone expected life to be hard.
Family is more important than work. This goes double if you're working for someone else or a big company. There is no reason at all that you should miss out on important life events or that your family life should struggle because shareholders need more profits.
 
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biostud

Lifer
Feb 27, 2003
19,820
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There is no paid time off in construction for the doers.
In the union agreement for construction workers in Denmark three months pay for the mother and two weeks for the father, rest of the leave they get paid from the state ~$3300USD before taxes each month.