What Happens When Dads Take Paternity Leave — And When They Don't

Paternity leave is also associated with increased engagement in child care during infancy and beyond, improved relationship quality between co-parents, and sharing child care and household tasks more equally both before and after leave.

Nearly 80 percent of fathers assessed had taken time off work after the birth of a child, though, on average, for one week only. Statistical analysis revealed that time off had positive effects on both relationships and co-parenting; these positive effects persisted over time.

Mothers reported higher relationship quality, co-parenting quality, and f... See more

That's exactly it. Research shows 80% of dads said they’d do anything to spend more time with their children. In Quebec, Canada, they ring-fenced properly paid paternity leave a number of years ago, and the uptake from men compared to the rest of Canada went through the roof. And this has so many benefits for society. There was one study by a unive... See more

By taking time off, fathers show their intention to help with childcare and take on additional duties beyond being financial providers; some may even use this time to acquire parenting skills and build confidence in their parenting ability.