100 days of difficult and rewarding paternity leave
My paternity leave has easily been among the hardest things I’ve done. It’s also, without doubt, the most meaningful and rewarding things I’ve done. Far from a “nice long vacation” as someone told me, it’s been fully a deconstruction and reconstruction of so much of myself. The more I reflect on it, the more I realize both things: It is hard (and thankfully it’s getting easier) and it’s also rewarding (increasingly so). I also realize now it was crucially important not only for me, but for the baby, my wife, and for the whole family. Research (links below) has shown the extraordinary and literally lifelong impact of paternity leaves (specifically dads, besides maternity leaves). ...