Did you know that 10 ViacomCBS has an amazing Parental Leave Policy? All eligible employees are entitled to 14 weeks paid parental leave, regardless of their gender, and the policy is flexible.
This means the leave can be taken in a variety of ways, not just in a single block. And, Brisbane sports reporter Josh McLean has done just that.
We caught up with Josh to find out about life as a new dad and whether or not he’s managed to run into Bandit from Bluey, aka the GOAT of fatherhood.
First of all, congratulations on the birth of your beautiful boy, Charlie! What did it mean to you to have those 14 weeks at home with your family?
Thank you! My partner, Emily, and I decided to do things a bit different by taking my 14 weeks in two separate blocks. The first seven weeks we took when Charlie was five months old, and the second was when he was around eight months. As he was just feeding and sleeping in the early stages, we wanted our time together as a family to be at a stage of his development where he would benefit most from our undivided attention.
The fact that 10 ViacomCBS not only allowed us to do this, but encouraged it, meant the world to us.
It really allowed me to be present for some of Charlie’s first moments in life, from sitting up, standing up and giggling, to growing his first teeth, walking for the first time, and even learning how to say Mum and Dad. These are a few of the many things I was there for (with camera ready), that I would otherwise have missed. It doesn’t get any more important than that.
There is a lot of ‘on the job training’ as new parents, what surprised you the most?
There are two things that surprised me the most about becoming a father.
Firstly, the pride and joy I take in every little step along the way. From the first time he opened his eyes and saw us, to his first smile, trying different foods, listening to us read him books and even sitting in a shopping trolley or high chair. Not only has he embraced each little milestone with happiness, but he’s learned each task quickly and absorbed a lot in such a short space of time. Everything he does, big or small, just makes us proud as parents.
The other thing I’d say is constantly being overwhelmed with protective instincts. If he falls over or bumps his head and cries his heart out, it breaks mine every time. You just want your little one to be safe and happy, and when he hurts, I hurt.
So many parents go through tough things with their little ones, and each and every one of them have my utmost respect and admiration.
The greatest dad in the history of the world also resides in Brisbane. Have you been lucky enough to meet Bluey’s dad, Bandit at your local park?
We’re always on the lookout for Bandit when we visit our local parks!
Given the fact he’s an archaeologist, we’re always mindful he might be near the Mt. Coot-tha nature reserve next to where 10 News First is located, but haven’t managed to spot him yet!
I respect that he stays so energetic and upbeat despite such little sleep, and still does all his household chores! Something I’m currently trying to master at home when our Charlie man is fast asleep.
How has it been returning to work?
Being back at work has been great, though I miss Charlie even more having spent so much quality time with him. But I’m surrounded by such wonderful, hard-working people, it’s always a pleasure to come to work every day.
Special thanks goes to Holly Green and Jonathan Williams for working so hard to make my paternity leave dates work, and Ross Dagan and his team for creating such an important family focused addition to our leave plan.
I’m very lucky and blessed to be able to do what I love every day. Sport is, and has always been my life, and I get to immerse myself in it. I hope one day I can pass that passion onto my son.
Any advice for other new or soon to be dads?
The best advice I have for any soon-to-be Dad is take time to enjoy every moment of the journey.
One minute you’re in the birthing suite overcome with emotion at meeting your little one for the first time, the next thing you know he’s saying your name and climbing on everything in sight.
We’ve managed to document each stage of his life and every moment we’ve been lucky enough to be a part of. Even just in the 10 months since he arrived, it feels like it’s gone by in the blink of an eye.
Each week, Emily and I take time to reflect on photos and videos of his life so far, so that we can enjoy how hard we’ve worked and how far we have to go.
Every moment is a blessing, and we’re so thankful to have our little family.
