Paternity leave for eight months is changing my relationship with my children

The author reports taking more than eight months of parental leave, enabled by a new workplace policy, and says that extended leave has allowed him to support his partner's recovery and be more present for daily parenting and early milestones.

The author is more than halfway through a parental leave spell that lasts over eight months, made possible by a new workplace policy that provides six months of paid parental leave plus annual leave. He contrasts this with his first child’s birth, when he had only three weeks of paternity leave and felt overwhelmed by work deadlines and blurred boundaries. Being present for the second child has allowed him to share daily care, support his partner’s recovery after a caesarean and catch many early milestones. He reflects on how financial limits and complex shared-leave rules often prevent other parents from taking similar time. Key details: - The author is taking more than eight months of parental leave; his employer offers six months of paid parental leave in addition to annual leave. - After the first child he could take only three weeks of paternity leave, and the couple did not use shared parental leave then because it would have reduced their household income. - Three in five fathers in the UK take some paternity leave, but many do not take more due to financial pressure and the complexity of shared parental leave rules. - His partner chose a caesarean for the second birth in part because his presence at home would support her recovery and the children’s care. - He describes small daily moments — a toddler’s initial wariness at stay-and-play, later shared play routines, and joint decisions about outings — as important to family bonding. - He notes recent policy movement, including a government review of paternity leave and Labour’s day-one rights reforms, while saying gaps remain for low-income and insecure workers; the campaign The Dad Shift is cited as highlighting current inadequacies. Summary: The author finds extended parental leave has deepened his involvement with his children and helped his partner’s recovery, making day-to-day parenting more shared and personally rewarding. He plans to return to work when his younger child is about eight months old under his employer’s leave policy, and notes that while policy momentum exists, limitations remain for many families.