How much parental leave did u take?

[ddmusser]

@aihi My son was born 7 weeks before lockdown started. My first day back at work was the day work from home kicked in. I didn't go back to the office until September 2022, so while I was only officially on leave for 7 weeks, I was out of the office for 31 months.

 

[jk59876]

@aihi Took 5 months zero regrets

 

[alexsonofmatthew]

@aihi Take 100% of what they allow you to take. They put 15 weeks for a reason, if they wanted to give you less they would. F what other people might think of you, or what YOU think they might think of you

 

[username]

@aihi I get 16 weeks and I will be taking all of it. I took a month at the beginning and went back to work until my wife exhausts her leave, at which point I will go back out and use up the rest. This is a promotion year for me but honestly who cares. They’re only babies once, and they grow up so fast. I don’t want to miss any of it.

 

[mom2025]

@aihi Take it all. Your kid is only that age once. Anybody who judged you for it can fuck off.

The only thing to MAYBE consider is possibly saving a week or two for when your spouse goes back to work so the transition is easier.

 

[bainne28]

@aihi I got 10 weeks and I took all of it. My company let me split up so I did 4 weeks with my wife and the rest after her leave ended. It was great. Would have loved another five.

 

[frances27_kc]

@aihi Take it all. You'll regret not being there longer.

 

[sfc808]

@aihi First time I took 2 weeks and regretted it, 2nd time I took the whole 3 months and loved it

 

[knoton]

@aihi I'm entitled to 3 weeks paternity leave but can do shared parental leave in the UK. My partner works freelance so is entitled to basically nothing so I'll be taking as much of the share as I can to optimise our financial situation.

If my calculations are correct (waiting for HR to confirm before I apply formally as still early days in the pregnancy), I'll be taking up to a year off, maybe longer.

 

[greg7560]

@aihi 3 months here and you bet your ass I'm taking it. I work minimum 10 hours a day, commute 1.5 hours a day each way, and given them so much if my time.

This is my time for my family, if they can't respect that then Thsts not an organization I need to be with.

These companies don't actually care about you. Set your boundaries. Spoken as a manager.

 

[thislifeandthenext]

@aihi Take all you can. I've got 6 weeks paid and have gotten passive aggressive comments like "wow, taking that much". I couldn't give less of a shit about shareholder value.

 

[justquaid]

@aihi Take all of it

 

[liammomin]

@aihi Mine offered 6 weeks. I took 2 at the start, 2 when my wife's 12 weeks ran out, and my last 2 I'm currently using for a "half return" schedule for a few weeks (3 days of work instead of 5) and using those extra days off for errands, cleaning, and taking care of my kids who has already brought home his first cold from daycare.

Use it all, in the way that makes the most sense for you. If your boss is worth working for, they won't mind.

 

[mum2017]

@aihi At birth I took all my vacation and some sick days

When wife's leave was up I took my 16 weeks of leave (still on leave currently)

 

[godsoldier911]

@aihi For me it was ~42weeks.

Our situation is different.

* we live in one country, but i work in another.

I took out Parental leave in my work country and I was'' stay at home dad''. But my Wife needed to work.

Our situatin was perfect, because wife could work from Home.

So, all those months we was bouth at home and spend all the tim together, it was fantastic!

 

[arekusun]

@aihi I took 5 weeks then some partial weeks then ramped up. If I have another kiddo, I’ve mentally committed to 6 months off

Take every second you can get. For you, your partner, your kid. As others have said, there’s no way you regret it.

 

[goodoldenoch]

@aihi I can take up to 14 weeks paid leave at a 70% salary rate. So every hour i spend on leave will be paid 70%. It's on top of the standard first week after birth, which is paid 100%. Of those 14 weeks 5 have to be spent in the first six months after birth and the other nine in the first year. I am free to spread those days however i want.

I was in doubt about how to spend them too. I am doing good at work and was well on my way career wise. My department manager is a mother of three and she was very clear about it: i would love to see you back at work after birth but the most important thing is you get the chance to enjoy the baby days and get to be a great father, so make use of the luxury we can offer you.

I was assuming i would take one week extra after the regular week off right after birth and then spend the other 4 weeks in the first six months by taking one day off every week for the next 16 weeks. That would mean i would work three days a week instead of four. It became clear very quickly that it would be very convenient to be available at home and to care for myself and my family. I decided to work four or five hours a day for four weeks and then, when my wife has to start working again i will do the one day off, so we don't have to bring baby to daycare then. When things go well at home i am always free to spend my hours off in a different way.

Put your family first dude. Those first weeks are golden but also very, very tyring. Take whatever is within reach. You can work later.

 

[kyle16]

@aihi Take every moment you're given. If they allow you to split it up even better. 7 weeks now, 8 later, however you'd like to do it. Whatever you do, take every minute you're allowed. With our first, it was 6 weeks before she was sleeping more than a few hours at a clip.

I'm currently on leave after she had our second, and dear God, I'm glad I did. I was going to wait and do it when my wife went back to work. I'm so glad I didn't. I wouldn't have survived the last week.

 

[dropbear]

@aihi Take all of it. I got 12 weeks and took all of it plus another few days PTO. I would have taken more unpaid if I could afford the cost of insurance during that time.

The cost of missing out on that time is far higher than the cost of some assholes viewing it negatively. If you’re at a company where taking parental leave would negatively impact future opportunities, chances are you’d earn more job hopping down the line anyway.

 

[gloriabaynor]

@aihi I took 5 weeks, went back to work for like a month and a half. Currently taking 3 weeks and will take the rest in may.