Should Fathers Get Paternity Leave? - Richard Reeves

TL;DR

Fathers deserve paternity leave not for gender equality optics, but because dads are genuinely valuable to their children in a distinct, complementary role.

Key Points

• 1.Scott Galloway and Derek Thompson publicly clashed over paternity leave. Thompson returned from months of paternity leave and Galloway argued men shouldn't take it or even attend births, while Thompson framed it as a gender equity necessity to close the pay gap.
• 2.Richard Reeves argues both men were wrong. Galloway underestimates fathers' practical value in early months, while Thompson's gender-equality framing reduces dads to a policy instrument rather than recognizing fatherhood's independent worth.
• 3.Reeves champions a pro-dad argument over a gender-equality argument. He compares involved fathers to owl monkeys — the best dads in nature — who handle everything except breastfeeding, arguing dads are distinctly awesome, not just malfunctioning moms.
• 4.The evidence on fathers in the birthing room is genuinely mixed. Researcher Darby Saxbe noted this is an unprecedented 30–40 year experiment; some mothers have mixed feelings post-birth, and traumatic births can be harmful for fathers too.
• 5.Reeves shares chaotic personal birthing stories that underscore fathers' well-meaning but imperfect involvement. He was building a fan during labor contractions, couldn't find swimming trunks for the birthing pool, and hacked badly through the umbilical cord — leaving his son with an unusual belly button.