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What are your thoughts on paternity leave? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 1 day ago by neomachino@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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I'm about to start my 12 week paternity leave next week thanks to a state program and almost everyone that I've told has had their jaws on the floor that I would even want to do that.

Today I witnessed a group of coworkers almost bragging how little time they took after their kids were born. I've heard stuff like "Most men are hard working and want to support their families so they don't take leave".

To me it was a no brainer, I'm getting ~85% of my normal pay and I get to take care of my wife, our son and our newborn for 3 whole months. and for someone who hasn't taken a day breathe in the past 3 years I think I deserve it.

I'm in the US so I know it's a "strange" concept, but people have seemed genuinely upset, people it doesn't affect at all. Again, it's a state program available to almost anyone who's worked in the past 2 years, I've talked to soon to be dads who scoffed at the idea and were happy to use a week of pto and that's it.

I feel like I'm missing something.

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[-] Appleseuss@lemmy.world 41 points 1 day ago

I went through the same thing when I took my paternity leave. Other male coworkers bragged about how they went back to work the day after their kid was born.

It's a culture thing where our society is conditioned to be boot lickers for the ruling class. I responded to them at the time, "Congratulations on being a bad father, I'm going to take every day entitled to me"

Don't fall into their trap.

[-] shawn1122@lemm.ee 1 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

There's nothing impressive about a man going back to work the day after their child was born unless they somehow popped the newborn out of their precious little asshole.

All it means is that they're willing to put their wife at risk of post partum depression and that they don't give a shit about their child. Not a thing to be proud of there.

[-] DrFistington@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago

Yup. Had old union buddies I was talking to after my first, and I brought up that he had a diaper blowout earlier, and they were like "I've never changed a diaper in my life!"

Just told them " damn, I'd be too embarrassed to admit I were that bad of a father in public..."

[-] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 day ago

I find it hilarious when people brag about things they think are cool but it just makes them look like dumbasses.

"Lol I can drink 24 beers in one sitting"

"I never call in sick, I can be hacking up a lung and I'm still there at the office"

On and on...

[-] shawn1122@lemm.ee 1 points 13 hours ago

These are the idiots that put the ruling class in the position that they hold today. Is it any wonder why they have so much power?

this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025

508 points (100.0% liked)

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