For new parents, time at home to bond with their newborn child
during the first few months after birth or adoption is very
important. This small window is also important for fathers, as they
did not have a chance to bond with the child during pregnancy. So
if this time is critically important, why are fathers – on
average – taking much less time off from work to bond with
their newborn children than are mothers?
As fathers are beginning to request time off from work to care
for newborn children with increasing frequency, employers are
naturally trying to keep their employees happy by providing
paternity leave. Historically, fathers have been hesitant to take
advantage of this benefit because of the stigma attached to
individuals who do so. While the stigma certainly remains in some
circles, fathers are becoming much more willing to avail themselves
of paternity leave as it becomes more readily available. This
paradigm shift is likely to continue for the foreseeable
