F-O-M-P-M?

Earlier this year, my wife and I welcomed our second daughter Fernanda Lucia, and I’m fortunate to work for a company that offers 12 weeks of parental leave for dads. When our first child was born, I didn’t have this opportunity, and as the son of a traditional Hispanic father who doesn’t believe in paternity leave, the concept of taking so much time off to care for a newborn felt quite foreign to me—and to most of my family. I even considered not taking the full paternity leave.

Why? Well as someone who struggles with FOMO, the idea of stepping away from my professional life for several weeks is daunting. It raises questions I had never considered: “Do I really need all this time? What will happen to my work projects? Will this affect my career advancement?” These are all valid concerns as there’s a certain stigma for dads around taking paternity leave, but I realized I was losing sight of two important things. This leave is a chance to bond with my newborn and it's also an opportunity to support my wife as she transitions back to work. Paternity leave is not just beneficial for dads; it’s about supporting mothers as well. Dads need to recognize that, in allyship with working mothers, it’s essential for us to take a slight pause from our careers and prioritize our children.?

The encouraging news is that according to the Society of Human Resource Management, paid paternity leave is now being offered by 32% of employers. And while many working dads I’ve spoken to are open to taking more time off, I would venture to say that most don’t even take half of the time they’re allotted. We need dads to fully embrace paternity leave so that companies continue to offer this essential benefit to both parents. Embracing these opportunities not only strengthens our bonds with our children, but also fosters a more equitable parenting dynamic at home.

I’m grateful to companies like AT&T for supporting parents during this crucial time in their lives, and especially thankful to my direct team for encouraging me to take advantage of this leave to be there for my family.

Back to my FOMO, I realized there's a new term I need to keep in mind: Fear of Missing Parenting Moments. The special experiences in the newborn phase are both precious and fleeting. Parents know that in the blink of an eye, you can go from cradling a tiny baby to chasing a two-year-old around the park. The reality is, who knows if my newborn will remember these moments. But I can rest assured knowing that I likely won’t remember the meetings or important work events I missed during this leave. What I WILL remember are those first smiles, giggles, and the moments I can now add to my memory bank as a proud dad of two beautiful daughters.