When you think about having babies, what images come to mind? If you’re like most people, you’ll think about mothers. That’s certainly the tenor of the pronatalist discussions in the U.S. today.

Fatherhood scholar Richard Petts asks us to think differently—to think about fathers, not just mothers. He asks us to work toward a future where all fathers have paid paternity leaves.

That future was far from his reality when his first child was born. When he asked for more a few days off, he was told “I would need a letter from my wife’s doctor stating that I needed to be at home because she was unable to care for her newborn son.” As he puts it, his wife had to be “incapacitated” for him to have time to care for and bond with his newborn.

In the U.S. only 27% of new parents—mothers and fathers—have access to paid leave and less than two thirds have access to unpaid leave. As a result, most new parents try to cobble together time off. Fathers who ask for paternity leave face being seen as uncommitted to work.

Watch this very timely Big Ideas Talk, What If All Fathers In the U.S. had Paid Paternity Leave? to learn about the powerful impact of paternity leaves on fathers, on children, and on society itself.

About Richard Petts

Richard J. Petts is Associate Dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities and Professor of Sociology at Ball State University. His research focuses on the intersection of family, work, gender, and policy, with a specific emphasis on parental leave, father involvement, and workplace flexibility as policies and practices that can reduce gender inequality, promote greater work-family balance, and improve family well-being. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Council on Contemporary Families, he has published extensively in academic journals, and his work has been featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, CNN, USA Today, Forbes, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal. You can learn more about his research by visiting his website (www.richardpetts.com).