Fathers should take their paternity leave. There are numerous studies showing that new parents who take on paid leave have healthier, happier, and more energetic children. Furthermore, this creates a stronger parent-child relationship and helps fathers and mothers deal with the stress of becoming a parent.

Father feeding his cute baby son at home

Paternity leave can be about much more than changing diapers, feeding babies, and putting them to sleep. It can be an amazing and awesome experience that proud dads will remember forever.

Here are three interesting ways to make paternity leave fun:

1. Plan Family Weekends

families coming together to celebrate a baby's birthday

Whether men have one or eight children, the scenario with newborn babies is always the same. The extended family will be eager to meet and take photos of their newest relative, the wife will need time to recuperate after giving birth, and other children (if any are present) will need time to adjust to the presence of their sibling. Hosting family weekends is the best way to deal with all that. Organize BBQ parties, take older kids to the playground, or simply have a movie night with lots of popcorn.

2. Make a To-Do List for the Paternity Leave

Man relaxing indoors, leaning on arm of sofa reading book

Newborns sleep a lot! In fact, they sleep throughout most of the day, which leaves fathers with plenty of time to organize their homes and prepare for their children’s next feeding and diaper changing routine. But, they also have time to focus on themselves, meaning they can use their newly found free time to tackle projects or acquire skills that they have been postponing. Read a book, visit a museum, or just finish repairing the leaning fence.

3. Spend Money

Person handing dollar bills to another person

Paternity leave isn’t a vacation and having a child can be more expensive than most people think. But becoming a father is a significant milestone, which should be celebrated by a worthy gift. From luxurious watches to designer clothes to new Jordans, fathers should find the time and means to treat themselves.

There are different ways to make parental leave an outstanding experience and the best part is that fathers get to see their children evolve as each day passes.