In Finland, fathers, like mothers, have the right to take parental leave and child care leave
In families where responsibilities are shared between mom and dad, parents get less tired. As noted by the portal "This is Finland", shared child care helps the family avoid stress and make this time truly happy.
"I have lived in Finland since I was 14 and I know that men here take parental leave," says Kirill Sinishin. He is a chef by profession, but at the time of the child's birth he was selling mobile phones. His wife Nina worked as a pastry chef in a restaurant. Kirill took parental leave to make her life easier.
"From the moment Leo was born, I was in a bit of shock from becoming a father, and on parental leave I got the chance to get to know my son better," says Kirill. He admits that caring for a small child is very interesting but difficult. However, his wife was able to rest more during that month, and the new family lived a simple, normal, full life.
"We walked a lot, took care of the child together. We rejoiced watching our son grow and develop. It was a wonderful feeling of family."
The Finnish system provides a flexible schedule for parental leave. Depending on the decisions made in the family, parents can work part-time and take turns staying with the child, or even care for the child together for some time.
Maternity leave in Finland is 105 working days, or 17.5-18 weeks, and begins 30-50 days before the birth. Fathers are granted three weeks of paid paternity leave.
After the initial parental leave, one can take parental leave of 158 working days, which can be taken by either the mother or the father. The amount of the benefit depends on the salary of the parent taking the leave.
Until the child turns three, mom or dad can care for the child at home. The system provides a flexible schedule for parental leave. Depending on the decisions made in the family, parents can work part-time and take turns staying with the child, or care for the child together, as was the case in Kirill Sinishin's family.
"The time when serious men worked and children were somewhere far away seems prehistoric today," says Mikhail Kopotev. He is a doctor of sciences, a specialist in Russian language and computational linguistics, and works at the University of Helsinki. "Today I was at a conference. Speakers are presenting, and in the audience there are three infants, one of them with dad. Twenty years ago this would have looked strange. A man with a stroller or a sling was rare even on the street. But today every second man is with a child."
When his daughter was born, Mikhail used his paternity leave in parts: one week per month. "My wife and I have equal rights to pursue careers and dedicate time to hobbies. The law allows both me and her to take leave," says Mikhail, but he cannot help noting that by using the right to parental leave, a scientist inevitably loses momentum in the tough competitive academic race. However, Mikhail's wife works no less than her husband.
"Now not only gender boundaries are blurring, but also the boundaries between work and rest – spheres of life that were previously separated. It will become easier for families to distribute work, household chores, and child care. For example, you can carry both your office and your child with you," Mikhail believes.
Now Kirill's son and Mikhail's younger daughter are already nine years old. Each of the men recalls his parental leave with a smile. Each is sure that if given the opportunity, he would do it again. Both Kirill and Mikhail know that in any case they would have taken part in raising their children. But with state support, it is much easier to do so.
"I am a supporter of equality," Mikhail emphasizes. "Finland not only declares gender equality but also supports it at the level of laws, social programs, and real opportunities for families."
"Parental leave is a unique opportunity for a father to be with his child and get to know him better," Kirill concludes.