A Dad's Perspective: Paternity Leave Lessons Learned Over 3 Leaves

Paul Sullivan shares how he got better at taking paternity leave with each child and why Scott Galloway's comments about dads being 'a waste of time' in a baby's first months are misguided.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 6:56pm

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A bold, colorful silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeating pattern of a baby bottle in vibrant neon hues, conceptually representing the essential role of fathers in a child's early development.A pop art-inspired illustration celebrating the importance of fathers' involvement in their children's lives from the very beginning.NYC Today

Paul Sullivan, founder of The Company of Dads, discusses his experience taking paternity leave three times and how it helped build a strong foundation for his relationships with his daughters. He responds to recent comments from professor and podcaster Scott Galloway, who suggested dads aren't needed in a baby's first few months, arguing that ongoing parental involvement is crucial for raising responsible adults.

Why it matters

Sullivan's story highlights the importance of fathers taking paternity leave and being actively involved in their children's lives from an early age. It also addresses the broader issue of companies needing to provide supportive policies and workplace cultures that enable parents, both mothers and fathers, to balance work and family responsibilities.

The details

Sullivan took paternity leave after the births of each of his three daughters, getting more confident and involved with each leave. With his first, he took 2-3 weeks but wrote columns ahead of time. With his second, he took 2-3 weeks without pre-writing. By the third, he took a full month off to bond with his daughter, support his wife, and handle logistics for their other children. During these leaves, Sullivan did everything from soothing his daughters at night to writing book chapters in his head while walking the kitchen. He initially worried about losing his job but had supportive colleagues who encouraged him to enjoy the leave.

  • In 2009, Sullivan took 2-3 weeks of paternity leave after the birth of his first daughter.
  • In 2013, Sullivan took 2-3 weeks of paternity leave after the birth of his second daughter.
  • In 2017, Sullivan took a full month of paternity leave after the birth of his third daughter.

The players

Paul Sullivan

A former New York Times columnist and the founder of The Company of Dads, a community platform and workplace educator for fathers.

Scott Galloway

A professor and podcaster who recently made comments suggesting dads are 'a waste of time' in a baby's first few months, which Sullivan disagrees with.

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What they’re saying

“The comments on paternity leave were meant to be funny. They weren't … Against paternity leave? No, that's absolutely not the message I want to communicate.”

— Scott Galloway

“The reason I can sit on my 16-year-old's bed at night, and the reason she can tell me something really difficult, is because I've been sitting on her bed since she was a baby. We built that bond year after year.”

— Paul Sullivan, Founder, The Company of Dads

What’s next

Sullivan plans to continue advocating for more supportive workplace policies and cultures that enable fathers to be actively involved in their children's lives from an early age.

The takeaway

Sullivan's story demonstrates how taking paternity leave can help fathers build strong, lasting bonds with their children, contrary to Galloway's dismissive comments. It also highlights the need for companies to create policies and cultures that truly support working parents, not just pay lip service to family-friendly benefits.