- Joined
- Mar 31, 2011
- Location
- Canada
As someof you know, I am a new father. Lil fucker is cute as fuck and of course is a genius.
In Canada, we have access to the option of a 18 (20 in reality) month blended (mother and father share) parental leave with reduced weekly payments. The regular option is 12 months for the mother with full payments. This is all funded though our employment insurance system which we pay a small portion off every pay cheque towards. Your employer must hold your position until you return.
Anyways, my lil lady got two months off paid in full for the birth of our child and now we get to share 18 months off paid at about 33% of one of our incomes. It is supposed to be about 50% of your income but to extend it from 12 months to 18 months you are basically getting the same amount stretched out over the 18 months. This time must be blended between the two parents and can only over lap once.
The lil lady has taken the 2 months (maternity leave) and is currently on another 8 months (parental leave) for a 10 in total.. we will over lap one month to travel and then I will take the remaining 10 months off.
10 months off work...
10 months no work.
...
It is starting to sink in. It seemed golden when I agreed to it, now I am a lil nervous. Not sure why though, the lil lady is returning to a new position which will almost double her wage. I am stoked yet nervous as I know this may lead to a totally different trajectory in life. I have never been unemployed for longer than a month since I was 17. I need to either find a few more hobbies or take on some educational or training achievement. Dont get me wrong, the child minding will be the bulk of my time but still.
Lil man will be 9-18 months during the time I have off so I definitely get the fun side of the leave. Thoughts are a lots of hikes with a kid 'carrier'.. I plan on re building and re planning the garden space to reflect the more time I will have. We will do a shit ton o camping next summer. Build in some quality raised beds and expand the green house. With weed legal here now, I will dial in the set up for the 4 legal plants we are allowed to grow.
Toying with the idea of starting some online schooling to complete another degree that would be easy to cherry pick with my current schooling or go an online masters or go back to school and complete either the one year post grad teaching program or do a masters in education.... And then part of me thinks this time off may lead me down different career paths.
Bringing it back to the point of the post, any suggestions on a hobby to pick up or skill to learn, or how to use 10 months of no work in a productive way other than being a rad dad for lil man?
In Canada, we have access to the option of a 18 (20 in reality) month blended (mother and father share) parental leave with reduced weekly payments. The regular option is 12 months for the mother with full payments. This is all funded though our employment insurance system which we pay a small portion off every pay cheque towards. Your employer must hold your position until you return.
Anyways, my lil lady got two months off paid in full for the birth of our child and now we get to share 18 months off paid at about 33% of one of our incomes. It is supposed to be about 50% of your income but to extend it from 12 months to 18 months you are basically getting the same amount stretched out over the 18 months. This time must be blended between the two parents and can only over lap once.
The lil lady has taken the 2 months (maternity leave) and is currently on another 8 months (parental leave) for a 10 in total.. we will over lap one month to travel and then I will take the remaining 10 months off.
10 months off work...
10 months no work.
...
It is starting to sink in. It seemed golden when I agreed to it, now I am a lil nervous. Not sure why though, the lil lady is returning to a new position which will almost double her wage. I am stoked yet nervous as I know this may lead to a totally different trajectory in life. I have never been unemployed for longer than a month since I was 17. I need to either find a few more hobbies or take on some educational or training achievement. Dont get me wrong, the child minding will be the bulk of my time but still.
Lil man will be 9-18 months during the time I have off so I definitely get the fun side of the leave. Thoughts are a lots of hikes with a kid 'carrier'.. I plan on re building and re planning the garden space to reflect the more time I will have. We will do a shit ton o camping next summer. Build in some quality raised beds and expand the green house. With weed legal here now, I will dial in the set up for the 4 legal plants we are allowed to grow.
Toying with the idea of starting some online schooling to complete another degree that would be easy to cherry pick with my current schooling or go an online masters or go back to school and complete either the one year post grad teaching program or do a masters in education.... And then part of me thinks this time off may lead me down different career paths.
Bringing it back to the point of the post, any suggestions on a hobby to pick up or skill to learn, or how to use 10 months of no work in a productive way other than being a rad dad for lil man?
! We go to story time at the library and play at the kids area. At story time they do awesome songs. Maybe your library has something like that?
