Telling the emotion of being a dad: the appointment with #IBSAVoices is back

“An indescribable emotion, the greatest ever experienced": these are the words most used by IBSA collaborators who told their experience as fathers on the occasion of Father’s Day, which in Canton Ticino (Switzerland) – and in other European countries, such as Italy and Spain – is celebrated on March 19.

So, #IBSAVoices once again gives space to the feelings and reflections of its Persons on a very important topic, such as the management of the family and, in general, the balance between personal and professional life. Most of the stories told by IBSA’s dads describe the change in life after the arrival of a child: a real upheaval, not only of the daily routine, but also in terms of responsibilities and challenges. A new stage in life, where one tries to be an inspiration and an example, while being constantly committed to transmitting good manners, respect and the great values of life.

We now leave the floor to Matteo Cerini, Tommaso Giaccio, Daniele Mancassola, Francesco Pensiero, Salvatore Riccobono, Matteo Sarajlic, Andrea Spinelli, Samuele Tenca and Arnaldo Tittarelli, whom we heartily thank for sharing their experience!

PATERNITY LEAVE

We are well aware that there is still a long way to go in order to achieve a more equal distribution of childcare and work activities. In Europe, for example, since 2018 all EU states have offered parental leave after the birth of a child. However, large diversities persist in terms of leave duration and salary levels. In general, from August 1, 2019, the European legislation provides for 2 weeks of paternity leave, while in Switzerland, from July 1, 2022, fathers are entitled to a 10-working day leave. However, it clearly emerges that the measures to support parenthood are still strongly characterised “by gender”, and that it is still women who benefit from them to a greater extent: the data reveals that, in 18 EU Member States, more than 80% of the people who reduced working hours for childcare were women and, overall, this rate is well above 50% in all EU States. The best performance concerns Nordic countries, where the trend is different: men reduce working hours for childcare more than their European peers.

Extending the duration of the paternal leave would introduce several benefits: it would allow fathers to be more involved in the management of their little ones and to immediately develop a stronger bond, also to the advantage of the health of the child and their relationship with her; at the same time, it would allow mothers to enjoy better conditions to recover from childbirth and to return to or re-enter the world of work more quickly.

IBSA FOR CHILDREN FOUNDATION: THE NURSERY PRIMI PASSI (“FIRST STEPS”)

In 2008 IBSA established the IBSA Foundation for children, which manages the Nursery Primi Passi, a kindergarten adjacent to the IBSA headquarters in Lugano (Switzerland), which welcomes children from 4 months to 4 years of age. The nursery, which is also open to the local community, was created to support male and female collaborators in one of the most critical moments of parenthood, promoting a better professional-personal life balance. The proximity of the kindergarten to the workplace is an aspect that should not be underestimated, since – as the fathers also recount in their interviews – it not only facilitates travel, but also gives a sense of serenity and psychological security. Sensitive to the well-being of its Persons, IBSA plans to create nurseries also in each subsidiary of the Group.

Particularly appreciated are the Montessori programme and the pedagogical approach of the educators, both based on the theories of active pedagogy, which considers every child competent, active and eager to know and learn through the pleasure of her own know-how. According to the Montessori educational approach, not only culture, information and disciplinary notions should be transmitted: the aim is e-ducation – from the Latin ex-ducere, to bring out – that is, letting each child’s potential emerge, helping her to express herself at her best. For this reason, the Montessori educational proposal – be it didactic and otherwise – is structured to follow each child in her mental, emotional and physical development, involving, in an integrated way, body, psyche and mind. For these reasons, many IBSA collaborators have chosen this facility, which is also very active in involving families, thanks to an excellent educational environment, very flexible in its services.

Best wishes, therefore, to IBSA’s fathers and to all the world’s dads, who should always be celebrated, every single day of the year!

“Being a dad for me is the best thing one can experience. It’s a big responsibility, and I hope I can manage".

“I try to be present when I’m at home, to fully enjoy the time with my children, especially on weekends. For me, being a dad means giving priority to my children’s needs over mine, to infuse courage, to provide safety, while however letting them try things for themselves, perhaps letting them make mistakes, so that they can also learn from them, but always following them. What they think of me is important to me; that’s why we talk often, although in my opinion it’s also important to listen to them. Being a father is to love unconditionally".

“For me, being a dad definitely means responsibility. One of the challenges I feel is being able to pass on to my daughter everything I know, my experiences; to make her understand the dangers, but also how to behave in the various situations that arise. As for the reconciliation of personal and professional life, a great help certainly comes from grandparents, who sometimes become critical".

“Being a father is a great responsibility, but also a great joy: it is what keeps us going".

“Being a dad is an indescribable emotion, it cannot be explained. I chose the Nido Primi Passi because the structure was new and belonged to IBSA. It was a real discovery: the kindergarten that meets your needs with flexible hours, all the services it offers for after school and pre-school; it’s not easy, but this way we manage to manage everything”.

“For me being a dad is a huge emotion, you can’t explain it if you don’t become one, at least once. I chose the Nido Primi Passi for the good references and for its Montessori programme. Then I personally met some teachers, and they are really good. What I particularly like about the nursery are the activities they organise outside school hours, where we parents can help and collaborate”.

“For me being a dad is a wonderful experience, I see it a bit like giving and receiving, not only in terms of affection, but somehow in all everyday things: I teach my children a lot, and at the same time they teach many things to me. Reconciling home and work is perhaps the most difficult thing, especially for our family (our grandparents are far away). Luckily, IBSA gives me the right space to be able to take care of my children directly".

“Being a dad today is a huge challenge, perhaps the most beautiful, but also the most difficult. Since both my wife and I work full time, with two children everything is very complicated… being able to juggle everything and live good moments with them is certainly a great challenge. The Nido Primi Passi is a choice we made with great enthusiasm, above all because it’s very close to work and this – especially for a mom – gives great security and helps us work serenely. Furthermore, the educators are really good and judicious people, with whom we have also established a good professional relationship, as well as personal".

“I manage to reconcile professional and personal life thanks to my family, who support me. Once, passing by IBSA’s building, I explained to my daughters that this is my workplace, and they were surprised and happy to see it".