My relationship with my girlfriend has also benefitted. I’ve discovered that a large percentage of parental leave is spent in the company of someone who has zero chat, and the mid-afternoon limbo between 2-3pm – watching the world outside going about its business, feeling like you’re no longer a valuable cog in the machine – can be a lonely place. The entire experience has given me a much greater understanding and admiration for what my girlfriend and mums everywhere go through.

I’ve little doubt that if Shared Parental Leave became the norm, it would lead to greater gender equality at home (and in the workplace). We’re a more balanced, better and tighter parenting unit now, as we both understand the pressures each of us has faced in the past.

All in all, this has been one of the happiest times of my life. I’m more well-rounded, closer to my family than I have ever felt, and I’m certainly a better dad. Having this time with my daughters has been so special.

In fact, it’s been so special that I decided to give up work and become a full-time dad for a while longer. They might only have a vague recollection of my time as wiper-up-in-chief, but I’ll remember every last giggle.”

This is how Shared Parental Leave creates better dads