It’s growing.
Four times as many men are taking paternity leave to be with their new child as we saw 20 years ago. They help with the feeding, diaper changing and getting up in the middle of the night.
Parenting expert Maria Luce says both dad and the child benefit.
“Fathers that take leave right after their child is born, or adopted, by the way,” Luce says, “are more involved, there's a tighter bond and the relationship is better.”
Not all companies offer paternity leave to their male employees -- and that is illegal in some instances. Some dads take the time without pay.
“They miss out on opportunities,” she says, “having that quiet time with their kids during care-taking.”
The average leave time for men is one week, while it's 11 weeks for women.