I was born in 1990. By a happy coincidence, it was a Saturday. At the time, my father was able to be with us on Sunday before returning to work on Monday. A day. He will have been entitled to a day off thanks to the coincidence of the calendar.
During this Quebec Fatherhood Week, it seemed important to me to share the fact that more than 30 years later, a completely different story can be written in Quebec.
In April, a little friend entered my life and I am taking time, until the beginning of October, to experience his first months of life as a threesome.
We’re not going to hide it: in 2024, it’s a chance to live in a territory that grants families such important maternity, paternity and parental leave. In theory, what an advance within reach of all families!
In practice, even if more and more of us, Quebec dads, are taking time off from the first days of our little ones, there are still several obstacles that still prevent many families from building together.
First of all, administratively, could we think of a longer, fairer and more economically just leave? Long live the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), but so much more progress could be made to modernize the plan. Because yes, inequalities remain even in the parental adventure, and I am aware of being one of the privileged people who can stop for that long. For what ? Thanks to equal income between my partner and myself and the fact that we are both in jobs allowing us to live more than comfortably.
When will there be a QPIP that would allow fathers (or second parents) to stop before birth to prepare for the baby’s arrival? When will there be one year of parental leave for both parents with a minimum amount of compensation suitable for all, regardless of the basic annual salary? Wouldn’t this be a great way to ensure the emotional and financial security of our little ones during their first year of life, especially in a context of shortage of childcare places?
When will there be a QPIP that takes into account family income rather than individual income, when we know that the majority of women earn less than their spouses, and that, de facto, it is men who return to work? earlier to ensure the sustainability of family income?
Then, socially, could we continue to change the norm so that dads take paternity leave and shared parental leave at least equal time? Investing in the education of your little one should not be a choice, and if we want dads to take equal responsibility, we must organize ourselves so that they embrace this role. When will we see more aware professional circles that do not imply that the idea of going on paternity leave places too much weight on teams?
Faced with masculinist discourses that are often too present, when will there be more and more men who loudly and clearly express the desire to move away from the paternalistic image of the provider man? When will more of them accept the idea that developing parenting skills and knowledge is essential and does not have to be put in opposition to knowing how to network, tend a tank or play hockey? When will there be more and more men who are not afraid to learn to be fathers, despite the lack of role models?
Even though I am fortunate to work in the field of early childhood and to have always had the support of the Olo Foundation team, all these questions were on my mind before I took this paternity and parental leave. These are all obstacles that could have meant that I was already back at work while my little one was developing, and that I might not be there to see him do it and contribute to my family. . In short, take my role to heart.
My son was born in 2024. By a happy coincidence, it was a Monday. In this day and age, I can take almost six months to welcome him and watch him grow week after week. Where will we be in 30 years if we continue to normalize and value what must be for the development of our little ones and a more just, equitable and happy society?