“Why taking 'primary' parental leave as a dad was my best decision”

Written By Claire Thiveyrat

Stuff.co.nz Opinion Article | Author: Brannavan Gnanalingam | Jan,15 - 2023

Brannavan Gnanalingam is a lawyer and novelist, including the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlisted Sodden Downstream and Sprigs. His latest, Slow Down, You’re Here was released in 2022.

OPINION: Being on holiday for part of the summer and spending it with my kids is hard to beat. But it's always so ephemeral. Soon they'll be teenagers, demanding they walk some distance away from me. It also made me realise that when I look back at my life, one of the best decisions I ever made was take parental leave as a "primary" parent.

Yeah, yeah, I know the idea of "primary" or "secondary" parent is a silly one, but which is obviously how we conceive of parental leave in New Zealand. I also acknowledge this column is achingly middle-class. I chose, and was fortunate, given that, to have kids.

 
Claire Thiveyrat

Hi, I’m Claire - I supercharge service providers with tech + creative skills to amplify their brand or diversify their revenue streams. Clarify your message to reach your ideal clients, boost your web marketing, get a digital facelift or create an online course - I’ll be the co-pilot to your online venture.

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