Well, I had high hopes for an outstanding post to celebrate? remorse? the end of Mark’s Parental Leave but time has slipped through my fingers and my brain is mushy.
We are amazingly fortunate to live in Canada where we get a full year of leave when a baby is born and even more fortunate that Dad can take up to 9 months of that time.
It’s been a wonderful 9 months. Because Mark was home, Zander got all the attention that a 2.5 year old needs and deserves when a new baby is born and Remy got all the attention that a newborn and growing baby needs.
But mostly, it’s been wonderful because I got all the help that I needed. I freely admit that while I can hold my own in a meeting full of grumpy male developers, engineers and construction workers I struggle with being alone with 2 small kids.
So hats off to Mark (he’s going to kill me for posting pictures of him here), who went back to the office today after 9 months of:
-
- changing, washing and hanging diapers
- making better meals than I ever do
- roughhousing, rocking and soothing
- potty training
- getting up in the night (Super Dad!)
- swimming, tumbling, singing and playing
- bike rides
- renovating
- cleaning
- grocery shopping
- dog walking
- I better stop before people start wondering what I was doing while Mark did all this…
Thanks for all your help Mark. You ARE Super Dad to me.
winter fun
That’s awesome that you have such a supportive “Super Dad”!!!! And kudos to you both for taking such good care of both of your children!!!
Do you really get a year off, and your husband can get up to 9 months?!!! That’s amazing!!!
Do you know if your company will give you trouble when you try to go back to work? Just curious, if after a year they can try to replace you or something?
Tahira49 – In Canada, we can take up to 52 weeks off for maternity/paternity leave. 17 weeks is maternity leave (so only mom) but the other 35 weeks can be split any way you like between the parents. Since I stopped working after our first son was born, my husband took the whole 35 weeks. We get a weekly check from the Government which is nice but not enough for us to live on so we started saving a year in advance so we’d have a little extra. Plus my husband’s work “tops” the weekly check up a bit too. This is legislated leave from work so employers must have your job waiting for you when you get back.
That’s so amazing that you get that time to spend together!!! I applaud you for starting to save early too! Thank you for your quick reply, and any parenting/cloth diapering advice you can give will always be appreciated 🙂