Author Topic: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?  (Read 4826 times)

Canuck44

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« on: May 07, 2015, 10:10:55 PM »
My wife is taking the full year maternity leave. I am thinking of taking about 10 weeks off unpaid over the summer.

I've calculated with overtime already worked, paid vacation and bonuses, that I can be off for 10 weeks and only miss the earnings of one 2 week pay period.

I plan to finish my basement reno, relax over the summer, and most of all, spend a lot of full days/weekends with my wife and our first child.

Pros and cons? Opinions?


Syonyk

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4610
    • Syonyk's Project Blog
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2015, 10:21:43 PM »
The first 3-5 weeks after kiddo shows up, you won't accomplish anything except take care of your wife & sleep.

Beyond that, sounds like fun! :)

Canuck44

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2015, 10:30:36 PM »
Thanks Syonyk.

I forgot to mention, that our child is approaching 5 months now and will be 7 months old when my leave would begin.

Syonyk

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4610
    • Syonyk's Project Blog
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2015, 10:48:36 PM »
Never mind. Still sounds fun!

PJ

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1427
  • Age: 53
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2015, 12:33:02 AM »
A friend of mine did something like this (although a bit sooner after birth) and really seemed to enjoy it.  I think that going into it, he had worried a little bit about how it would go over at work.  But it's one of those things where the workplace will only start to accept it from men, if men start to do it.  And depending on your field, might not be a problem at all.

It sounds like a lovely summer - hope you decide to do it!

southernhippie

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 71
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2015, 03:43:38 AM »
I took some paternity leave when my child was born.  Well worth it.  Enjoy your time

Learner

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 92
  • Location: Kingston, Ontario
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2015, 03:59:30 AM »
Parental leave is great.  We have about 3 year old twins and an almost 11 month-old.  I took it for both. With the twins it was crazy because so much care was required.  For the newest one, it was great - I consider it to be a preview of what early retirement will be like.  Especially when the newest one was really little, most of the time was spent doing things with the twins.  We went for a lot of bike rides, etc, and were able to take extended trips to visit family.

Doubleh

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 288
  • Location: London
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2015, 01:38:27 AM »
If it's an option for you I'd say definitely do it.

I'm just about to return to work after a year off taken from when my little girl turned one and my wife had to return from maternity leave (uk).

Because of my set up as an independent contractor I had to quit my role and find another one afterwards, this has taken longer than I had planned due to a period of show hiring in my industry. But as roles have come available I've started being pulled into interviews pretty frequently - might I have missed out on some that I would have had a chance with if I hadn't taken the time out? Probably, but then those aren't the people I want to work with so call it a good screening tool! In not one of the interviews I've had has any one made any sort of negative comment about my decision to take time off. I've had older men get a wistful look in their eye and say if only they could have done the same, and working moms seeming pretty impressed that I took the plunge and have a shared understanding.

I'm about to start back and it will have set my fire back by maybe 10 months, but nothing more than than that as we were able to continue saving albeit at a lower rate from just my wife's salary. What you have to bear in mind though is that time is not fungible - a day in a prison camp does not have the same value as a day on a tropical island. And a year with my girl so young is irreplaceable, so well worth the trade even if it means a year less of freedom down the line. As a side benefit I've got to learn a lot about what my experience of fire will be like from this preview and learnt important things about myself in the process.

Tl;Dr - do it, no regrets. If you can keep your job open that's even easier and to me it's a no brainer.

Calvawt

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 337
  • Location: Central CA
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2015, 09:23:32 PM »
I think it's a great idea.  I only wish I would have been able to do it!  I hope to make up the time in a few years after FIRE.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Syonyk

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4610
    • Syonyk's Project Blog
Re: Thinking of taking some time off - paternity leave?
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2015, 09:37:47 PM »
I'm actively working to set things up so I can spend a lot more time with my kid (and hopefully future kids) when they're young.  I'm sure I could retire earlier if I kept my nose to the grindstone longer and continued with a high paying job longer, but I don't get that time back, and I figure I can make enough to live comfortably on if we have a very low cost of living in a nice rural area. :)

I know a lot of people fear the "What will people think of the gap in my resume?" thing, but as long as it's something you've done on purpose, I really don't think it reflects that badly on a person.

"I backed off work to spend more time raising my daughter while she was young" is a perfectly valid reason to have a gap in a resume...

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!