How should this paid leave period be divided between the mother and the father?” Parents’ behaviour around the birth of a new child is important for determining later roles and responsibilities within a family (Baxter, 2008, Schober, 2013, Bames, 2015). Up to parenthood many couples share paid and unpaid work relatively equally. But upon birth of the first child couples often revert to traditional roles and even as children grow older mothers do not always return (fully) to the labour market.