What do you think when you see this photo?

Maybe just a dad with his young child in a grocery store, you might think it’s an unusual site, or you might not, depending on how you were raised.

However, when I look at this photo, I see a man who doesn’t get paternity leave, yet he’s taking responsibility as a caregiver. I found this photo by searching for men taking care of their children. I chose this particular one because I thought it was not just a dad with his child but a dad performing a task that most believe a woman should do with his child.

A new controversy is whether men should get paternity leave. I think this is important because we are currently fighting battles that women should be taken more seriously in the business world and that we shouldn’t have to stay home and take care of our kids if we want to work. So, why can’t men get paternity leave and spend time with their kids, assuming the role of a caregiver if they choose to?

This image invokes sympathy. I feel sympathetic to this situation and don’t feel it is correct. We are in a time that is supposed to promote acceptance and equality, yet many fathers feel pressure and are looked down upon for wanting to care for their young children.

I don’t know the context and background of this photo, but I think it represents a man being a good caregiver, and no matter his gender, he should receive paternity leaves if he chooses to take time off work because of a new baby. If women can reap the benefits, why shouldn’t men?

In this photo, I feel it invokes compassion for the situation and his community. If more men felt comfortable taking paternity leave without being shamed or judged, I believe they would; being a male caregiver while your wife works wouldn’t be as rare as it is now.

Male-dominated fields shame hands-on dads; because of this, men who want to be there for the early stages of their children after birth feel like they can’t. This makes me sad because it isn’t fair and, by now, shouldn’t even be debated.

The outcomes of men receiving paternity leave are only positive. The possible effects of men and their children forming stronger bonds and relationships because they get to leave only make me more for it. I think this is something that we should take seriously because the impact is enormous. This photo should be the norm. Men should not feel ashamed for wanting to be hands-on and should reap the same benefits women get if they choose to go on leave.