Why paternity leave works

When men share the responsibility of child care, women find it much easier to return to their jobs after a pregnancy

If you’ve seen the movie Kramer vs Kramer, you’ll remember Dustin Hoffman in the role of a clueless dad who tries to take care of his little boy after his wife leaves him because he was too busy to spend any time with his family. It’s a heartwarming film, at once funny and sad, and in 1979, the year of its release, it telescoped a cultural shift that is continuing to play out even today. The shift is from the old stereotypes of gender roles — one where dads are in the office and moms are in the kitchen (and