Am I a Latte Pappa?
And are there more Latte Pappas in Northern Ireland than you might think? I only came across the term quite recently myself. It originated in Sweden and primarily referred to fathers who were able to spend more time with their kids, due to the forward thinking parental leave laws. Dads could be spotted out in the cafe's with their kids, while the mums were back at work. It was part of a wider strategy to promote both parents taking a more active role in parenting. Now, I don't really care for latte, but I love a flat white! When I was still at work, I found taking parental leave a battle, despite some recent improvements in our own legislation. There seemed to be no importance placed on family life. When I booked a third week of unpaid leave for each of my children's births, I was practically vilified- despite the option being protected in law. The first time my manager said I had to approach all my co-workers and ask their 'permission' to take the leave th...