“She’s small, but she’s fearless.”

Ben G. smiles as he talks about his younger daughter. “She loves nothing more than following her big sister around and doing everything she does.”

On a Sunday afternoon, Ben pedals on his cargo bike through the leafy streets of suburban London. Sunshine streaks through the maple trees, dappling the road with pockets of light. After a few more blocks, Ben dismounts and sets the kickstand in place before reaching into the open-top cargo box at the front of the bike. “Alright girls,” he says. “We’re home.” Ben lifts his two daughters, ages four and two, out of the cargo box, and they head into the house.

Today is a day for cruising through the neighborhood, getting coffee, and spending time at the local playground. Ben admits that before the kids showed up, he’d often spend his evenings and weekends doing work. “Now, I have to be more ruthless in prioritizing my time for my family, and that took some getting used to.”

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Bernardo B. emerges from beneath the surface of the water. It’s a hot day in São Paolo, and he is at the local pool with his two children in an attempt to beat the heat. “I love going to the swimming pool with them,” Bernardo says. “It's very fun, and also it leaves them feeling very tired!” Later in the evening, they have a special routine for winding down. “We have a night ritual that helps them to get to bed and sleep the entire night,” Bernardo explains. “It's a very mindful process of soft classical music, low lights, and a warm bath. We never skip it. It helps set the mood for bed time.”

“Before becoming a father,” he says, “I wasn't really making the best use of my time. There was lots of procrastination. Becoming a dad made me realize how precious my time is and I'm more conscious about how to best use it for important things. That goes for my family, my work, and myself.”

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The skies over the eastern coast of Ireland are overcast as Evin G. makes his way into the Meta office in Dublin. “My children think I work at a playground,” he says with a smile. “But between the kids’ Christmas party to Bring Your Kid to Work Day and the free ice cream, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Evin leads the client solution managers, who help Facebook’s largest advertisers grow their businesses. According to Evin, becoming a father to three kids was the best lesson in how to prioritize his schedule. “I leave work at a certain time in order to be home for bedtime,” he says. “There is a business need to travel in this role, however I am ruthless about how much I allow travel in my calendar. My manager supports this. In fact, each manager I have had at Meta has been supportive toward this balance. It’s a big part of our culture here.”

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As Ben pulls the cargo bike to the side of the house, he explains how he adopted a set of personal policies that help him balance parenthood and being a software engineering manager at Meta. “I work from home sometimes. I try to be home early a few nights a week. I also leave later in the morning sometimes so I can spend time with the kids when we're all fresh. My wife works in the evenings,” Ben adds. “I can rearrange my schedule however I like as long as the job gets done.”

In addition to the flexibility, Ben is grateful for the paid parental leave time the company gave him. “I was incredibly lucky to spend four months on paternity leave when our youngest was born. I spent the time supporting my wife, helping with the baby, and bonding with our older daughter on adventures with just the two of us. I am hugely grateful to Meta for that and will be for the rest of my life.”

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“If I had to describe my job to my kids,” says Bernardo, “I’d say, ‘Dad helps people use Facebook better. There are a lot of people who depend on Facebook to make their living and I want to help them.’” As a product specialist, Bernardo supports advertisers and sales on technical issues regarding Facebook ads products.

Bernardo reflects on balancing the expectations with his job and fatherhood. “I'm quite strict with my time,” he explains. “I set expectations with my manager on how to ruthlessly prioritize. Also, I'm constantly working on removing distractions.” He also emphasizes taking advantage of Meta’s paid parental leave program. “Take all the leave,” he says. “Be an active dad. Work smarter. Ask for help. And share your experience with others.”

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Evin took his paid paternity leave following the births of all three of his children. He also utilized Meta’s baby cash program, has taken advantage of emergency nanny care, and is grateful for the community of other dads at Meta. “My number one piece of advice to new dads at the company,” he says, “is to talk to other dads.”

Ben agrees. “Sometimes, new dads don't know what role they want to play. It's important that they take the time to build a bond with their kids and lean in right from that first nappy change. Work is important for our need for self-actualization, but love and belonging are much more fundamental needs. Up until becoming a father, what I did at work was a huge part of who I was. That's changed for me. My advice for new fathers is be open to that change and don't prejudge it as a negative thing.”

The fathers we spoke with all talked about how opening up to other dads about their own experiences gives them a sense of community and support. For many, fatherhood also creates a space to drill down and really assess what matters most. Meta provides comprehensive employee benefits, including parental leave options that help growing families start strong, bond, and thrive. Whether a father is expecting a child, has several grown children, or is right in the middle of figuring out what being a dad means to them, feeling supported makes all the difference.