Alexis Ohanian, husband of tennis champion Serena Williams, is sparking a conversation about fatherhood and the importance of paternity leave. In a candid essay for The New York Times, Ohanian slams the outdated notion that dads “babysit” their own children.

Ohanian admits he never considered the value of paternity leave before becoming a father. However, his 16-week break with his newborn daughter, Alexis Olympia, proved to be a turning point. It built his confidence and solidified the foundation of his family life with Serena.

The Reddit co-founder highlights the stigma surrounding paternity leave, despite its undeniable benefits. While acknowledging that not all fathers can afford to take leave without career repercussions, Ohanian emphasizes the crucial role of paid family leave policies.

“Serena and I are fortunate to have help at home and many other advantages,” he writes. “But even with those perks, it’s still incredibly difficult.”

He emphasizes the importance of dads being present during those crucial first months. Ohanian cites statistics revealing a mere 9% of workplaces in the US offer paid paternity leave to all male employees, and a staggering 76% of fathers return to work within a week after childbirth or adoption.

Ohanian blames societal expectations and a lack of cultural support for this disparity. “Our culture makes it difficult,” he says, pointing out the US is the only industrialized nation without mandated paid family leave. He adds that men are often conditioned to be the sole breadwinners, fostering a fear-based sense of duty.

“Nearly a third of dads think taking leave could hurt their careers,” Ohanian writes. “We might miss a promotion. We might become obsolete. We might get fired. Career fear is powerful.”

However, for Ohanian, taking paternity leave wasn’t just about bonding with his daughter; it was about leveling the parental playing field. “Spending significant time with Olympia as a newborn gave me the confidence that I could figure out this whole parenting thing,” he explains.

He credits his leave with helping him and Serena establish an equal partnership in raising their daughter. “There’s no stigma in our house about me changing diapers, feeding Olympia, doing her hair, or anything else I might need to do,” he says. “They’re all just dad things, not babysitting things.”

Ohanian concludes by urging companies to offer paternity leave and advocating for a federal paid family leave policy that encompasses “birth parents, adoptive parents and caregivers alike.” Until then, he has a simple message for fathers: “Talk to your bosses and tell them I sent you.”

Ohanian’s essay sheds light on a critical issue: the need for a cultural shift towards shared parental responsibility and the importance of supporting fathers in their roles as caregivers.