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Many fathers would love more time with their families, but with no paid paternity leave, and few sympathetic employers, the situation for ‘Sahds’ is gloomy, writes KEVIN COURTNEY

IT’S MONDAY MORNING; Dad gets up and dresses the two-year-old while mum breast-feeds the new baby. Then dad burps the baby, puts it back in the cot and makes breakfast. He brings the two-year-old down to creche, has a quick coffee and a read of the paper in the nearby coffee shop, then goes back home to tidy the house, make sure mum is resting comfortably, and help her with the 11 o’clock feed. At noon, he takes a leisurely drive to the office – no traffic on the road at this time – to get ready for a major presentation to corporate clients in the early afternoon.