Being a father on paternity leave

This is Daniel Grabenhofer. A young father of two little boys, decided to take a two-month paternity leave to support his girlfriend as good as possible in the first months with their twins. In this interview, he tells us how he managed all this and what it’s like to be on paternity leave as a father.??

How long did your paternity leave last?

I was on paternity leave for a total of two full months. That’s the shortest time you can take as a father. But 2 months worked out well for me and I was really looking forward to work afterwards.

Paternity leave was a good descision for you?

Yes! You can see what is going on at home and how much work one, or in my case two, newborns are. When my girlfriend is home alone with the kids, she sometimes even can not find the time to eat, so working at the company is a lot more relaxed. ???

What was your funniest experience?

I was able to experience a lot of beautiful and funny moments. I can’t pick out a single one, because every day was exciting. I never felt bored!

How did you prepare for your paternity leave? How did Rosendahl Nextrom support you?

We informed ourselves about the different forms?and then decided on the two-month paternity leave. Before, I was also on “daddy leave”, and then I also decided on paternity leave. So I was able to spend three months with my family.

My colleagues in payroll accounting explained everything to me in detail and helped me with the applications . But the technical department also accepted my plan immediately, so there never were any problems.

How was your return to work?

Without any problems. It was, as if I had never been away. Of course, it takes a day or two to get back into a routine, but basically everything worked out great.

Would you recommend paternity leave to other fathers? If yes, why?

Yes, it is definitely worth the experience. Simply to see how many things your girlfriend has to do. Otherwise, you don’t even notice it, or you’re often not aware of the amount of work you have to do at home with a child.

Thank you Daniel for your time and the great insight into your paternity leave. We wish you and your family all the best and many more fun and unique moments!

Daniel is with Rosendahl Nextrom since 2008 and currently is in the mechanical design department.