Paternity Leave Benefits Everyone—So Why Aren’t More Dads Taking It?
When my first daughter was born my husband and I both blindly applied for our state’s paid parental leave. We knew nothing about what the program offered or if we even qualified, but hoped it would provide us with some income so we could take some time off work.
To our surprise we both got checks in the mail a few weeks later and we were able to take 8 weeks off together.
But when our second daughter was born it was a completely different story. My husband was an independent contractor and didn’t qualify for paid leave. Four days after our daughter was born he was back at work.
Our household spiraled downward. My daughter had jaundice and required specific care. Breastfeeding was not working. And I cried every day. At my six-week postpartum appointment, my doctor diagnosed me with postpartum depression.
I don’t blame all these challenges on my husband’s nearly non-existent parental leave, but I know it would have helped. A lot.
And the research backs this up. Studies from the OECD and public health experts show that when dads take parental leave, everyone wins. Babies thrive. Moms are less likely to experience postpartum depression. And dads stay more involved in parenting long after the leave is over.
Sadly, most dads in the U.S. don’t take extended leave, even when they’re eligible. Some worry it’ll hurt their careers. Others don’t want to be seen as “less committed” at work. We’ve heard every excuse under the sun in our consulting calls, and we get it, but we’re also going to push back hard. And we also recognize this isn’t just a personal dilemma. It’s the result of outdated policies and a culture that still treats caregiving as a women’s issue and breadwinning as a men’s issue.
Paid, protected leave shouldn’t be a perk. It should be the baseline—for all parents, no matter their gender.
That’s why we’re so intentional about using the term parental leave instead of maternity or paternity leave. Because until we treat all parents as equally deserving of time to care for their babies, nothing really changes. When we normalize leave for everyone, we’re not just supporting families, we’re shaping a culture that actually works for them.
Hello, Bundle helps new and expecting parents navigate parental leave so they can take the maximum amount of paid parental leave possible when they welcome a child into their family. We provide daily parental leave tips and tricks on TikTok and Instagram, and offer personalized support across the U.S. through consulting calls, custom parental leave calendars, and PDF parental leave guides. Get support in your state here.
