As the father of 5 I can say that many things would have been easier if I had been able to take a long paternity leave when the kids were born. The first year is an exhausting one and having two of you around to share the work and be moral support would have made it all much easier.

It would be better in all kinds of ways, more equitable, better for the mother and child, better for the company, if the father got just as much time off as the mother.