Daddy Clay: Hey there and welcome back the Dad Labs lounge brought to you by Baby Bjorn, I’m Daddy Clay.
Daddy Brad: We’re out here on the back deck at Freddie’s just hanging out asking some parenting questions, I’m Daddy Brad.
Daddy Owen: I’m Daddy Owen and today’s question is did you take paternity or maternity leave?
Man 1: I had a restaurant at that point and time. And she was in the restaurant with us from the day she was born.
Daddy Owen: Instead of leaving work you brought your child to work?
Man 1: Yes.
Daddy Owen: Not child labor?
Man 1: No.
Daddy Owen: Maybe a little child labor?
Man 1: A little bit, washing the dishes, mopping the floor.
Woman 1: With this baby I am taking maternity leave. It’s six weeks unpaid. So I guess the idea is just we promise not to give your job away? Thanks!
Daddy Clay: Instead of staying home with my newborn I was making a DVD how to teach other dads how to do stuff.
Woman 2: I quit my job when I was about four months pregnant. And so it was really too demanding. I was traveling a lot, it was my first child and I didn’t want to take any risks. When she was 12 months old was when we went ahead and put her into part time at the time daycare. And then transitioned it into full time.
Daddy Clay: I think that every dad when the baby is born regardless should stay home for one week.
Daddy Owen: Oh yeah and the seven day week.
Daddy Brad: Yeah a week.
Man 1: Several weeks.
Woman 3: Ideally at least three months.
Daddy Owen: The week after our kid was born after Arden was born, I actually I found myself getting super busy. And at one point Jodi just sort of stopped me. She said you need to stop. You need to take a day and not answer any phone and not answer any email and just sit and be with me and the baby. I basically boobed myself to kind of have time. Anyway and since I am self employed and a heavy drinker that is really a quarter of normal person time.
Jodi: Because I feel like starting back full time is going to be too much with two kids I am going to take the Spring semester half time. So in the end I am kind of taking this whole year at a quarter salary.
Daddy Clay: You are expecting Owen to make that up?
Jodi: Woo-hoo.
Daddy Clay: You know we pay him in beer?
Jodi: But once I get this baby out of me I can start drinking beer again too.
Daddy Owen: Well that’s all we’ve got here at the lounge about paternity leave.
Daddy Brad: I’m done with my dumb comment leave.
Daddy Clay: If you’ve got a thought about paternity leave tell us did you take a leave? Definitely go to DadLabs.com, join the community, join in the conversation there, let us know what you think on this subject. That is all for us this week here in the lounge.
Daddy Brad: Hey you didn’t ask them to drop their thoughts this time.