A man can do. 5 questions the man who went on maternity leave

When, in early 2009, Igor Kretov found out that his wife is pregnant, the question arose, who to go on maternity leave. The wife wanted to continue to build a career in a foreign company, business Igor the crisis hit, so he decided that he may educate the child. Igor spent on maternity leave for 2.5 years and never regretted it.

How to take the maternity leave in your community?

For example, parents skeptical. Many of the older generation in the heads there is a stamp that maternity leave should leave mother. But society is changing, many friends normally took my decision.

For a man who has decided to leave in the decree, it should not be a duty, you need to treat this as a call answering which you can learn a lot and change your life for the better. If you treat this experience as challenge, moral and psychological pressure you feel.

My now ex-wife went to work soon after childbirth, her goal was to build a career. This situation has given me a lot of emotional attachment to the baby during the first two years of her life, which is very, very important. Actually, I think that if the father in this period more attention is paid to the child, especially the girl, her behaviour laid some patterns.

Where did you get information about how to care for the child?

— It was difficult for you. I helped the school of responsible parenthood — a course of ten lessons. Tried to look for helpful tips online, but on the forums, where moms share the experience more, shall we say, of emotions, than practical information. Therefore, by the way, I began to keep a blog in which he talked about his experience.

How has your life changed in the decree?

— When baby comes, it is strongly disciplinary. You realize you have an hour and a half while he sleeps, to be able to do all things. Though I’m officially issued at the enterprise the leave to care for a child, all the work did not. Such respite was used in order to prepare for any presentation, make a few Skype calls.

In addition to work schedule has changed and the culture of consumption. I was buying and preparing healthy food, carefully watched by the selection of household chemicals.

Of course, changing the circle of friends begin to understand some things related to the child. For example, on the walk we went on Obolonska embankment, where walking among mothers. Men with prams were only a few: a pair of fathers and a grandfather.

What did you learn from this experience?

— I learned to be more attentive to the needs of the couple. Taught to ignore the cliches that exist in society, and normally and feel comfortable.

Having such an experience, whether you better understand women?

— Of course. The movie “what women say” you could make in explanation of that experience (laughs).

Over the last few years of my life, everything changed. I am again happily married, we are expecting a baby, and this period is different: I think my wife is more comfortable now, especially psychologically.

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I have other business, now I’m doing sports management, we have a running club, we organize marathons. Among our clients there are women who come to us after the birth to get in shape.

This experience is absolutely positive. If all repeated the same scenario, I would again went on maternity leave.