The one thing I didn’t expect when I took paternity leave

For this new dad, taking time off to care for his infant reframed more than his view of domestic work.

“I was endlessly relieved when my wife, the hero of the story, returned to save the day,” says Craig Wright of his time as a primary carer for their daughter.

Craig Wright

Aug 30, 2024 – 5.00am

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“I’ll be home for bath time.”

Following the birth of our first child, this was not an uncommon message that I would send my wife as the end of the office day approached. There I was, good husband and father, making sure I would be dashing through the door two minutes before the slated bath time to discharge my allocated bathing duties for our daughter, followed by her bedtime feed and getting her off to sleep. Checkbox ticked, father of the year award in the post.