Clarke Gayford is staying at home with baby Neve. So what's the big deal? | Svetlana Stankovic and Gabrielle Jackson

In a new series we meet seven dads – on paternity leave or caring full-time for children – who wonder why others aren’t

When Jacinda Ardern returns to parliament on Monday, her partner, Clarke Gayford, will stay at home to look after little Neve Te Aroha. Much has been said about Ardern being the first elected world leader to take maternity leave and only the second – after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto 28 years ago – to have a child while in office.

Many have criticised the fanfare with which Ardern’s pregnancy and maternity leave was greeted by news publications. They argued that women give birth and return to work every day, and to make a big deal of this case undermines what should be an accepted norm. But what isn’t an accepted norm just yet is that fathers should be primary caregivers, or at least equal in sharing the care and upbringing of their children.

Related: Rory McLeod on paternity leave: 'It's a really healthy thing for your mind'

Related: My paternity leave was wonderful – all fathers should be given the chance | Maxton Walker

Related: 'The Daddy quota': how Quebec got men to take parental leave

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2OOyS5Q