Just survived paternity leave - here's what nobody tells you
Took 3 months off when my daughter was born and honestly it was the hardest and best thing I've done. First two weeks I felt like a zombie and questioned every decision. But then something clicked around week 4. I actually learned how to read her cries, figure out when she needed what, and my wife and I finally got into a rhythm instead of constantly asking "whose turn is it?"
The real shock was going back to work last month. I thought I'd be RELIEVED to get back to normalcy but I actually miss her constantly. Like I'll be in a meeting and just thinking about whether she's hitting milestones correctly.
Also if anyone's considering paternity leave - take it even if finances are tight. Your company will survive. Your kid gets older every single day.
3 months is a solid chunk of time. I only got 2 weeks and I'm honestly still salty about it. Can't imagine having 3 months to actually figure things out instead of just white-knuckling through.