Parental leave

I am on parental leave while in Mexico: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for sure, along with the slightly terrifying realisation that my full-time job is looking after a baby, whose only trusted method of communication is to scream at the top of his lungs, regardless of whether he wants to say "I'm in need of urgent medical attention" or "I quite fancy a slice of avocado".

Our extended stay in Mexico is in fact possible in large part due to the generous leave offered to all parents through the Swedish social insurance system (Försäkringskassan). Rosalía and I have 480 days to share between us, of which 390 at 80% of our previous salaries (the remaining 90 at a lower standard rate). Along with very affordable daycare and largely free healthcare, this makes Sweden one of the best places in the world to have children (don't trust me, it's official).

It's also all very flexible; when Noam was born in June 2016, I took two weeks completely off work, then went back half-time for a couple of months over the summer, before working full time through to Christmas. While those last few months were difficult, especially for Rosalía at home all day with a new-born baby and no other family support, we both realise how lucky we are that the Swedish system allows us to spend so much time with our son in this critical early stage of his young life. In many other parts of the world, including Mexico, it would be almost unthinkable for first-time parents to take care of their baby on their own without major assistance from the extended family.