“Sorry, I can’t do that because of childcare issues”—said no man ever to his boss. Ok, a slight exaggeration to make a point, but for many male professionals it is entirely accurate. Indeed, a 2018 Ball University study supported this point when it revealed that while nearly 47 percent of men support parental leave, a mere 14 percent of dads actually take more than two weeks. Case and point closer to home: One day recently when I was out of the “home office,” my husband called his mother to pick our son up from school (a maximum 15 minute round trip task), rather than advise his boss that he was unavailable for an impromptu meeting. Not particularly surprising until you consider that my mother-in-law lives 70 miles away.
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