Getting used to parenthood
Alen has been a fan of LEGO® bricks ever since he was a child. Majoring in electrical engineering, he left his hometown right after graduation and now works at the LEGO Group’s Jiaxing factory.
Alen was grateful for the extended paid parental leave policy at the LEGO Group. As a new father he said: “I didn’t know what it would feel like to be a father when my wife was pregnant, and I didn’t begin to become aware of the change in my role until around a month into my parental leave.”
Alen learned how to change his daughter’s diapers faster and better, how to determine if the temperature of her milk was right, how to soothe his daughter when she suddenly cried – and he believes that the time he took during his parental leave has helped him form a bond with his daughter that helps him do care for her with confidence.
“My hands-on experiences during my parental leave have shown me what it really feels like to be a father.”
Passing on a love of LEGO bricks
During parental leave, Alen and his wife began to study children’s early development. They discovered that the brain develops the most at the age 0-3. And although the young couple, who were both born after 1995, grew up in the digital era, they prefer to let their daughter explore new things with LEGO sets, versus electronics.
Their now four-month-old likes the colourful LEGO bricks, and they seem to satisfy her curiosity and desire for exploration. She waves at the LEGO DUPLO® train as it goes round, and Alen and his wife agree that they will apply the LEGO Group’s Learning-through-Play philosophy in their daughter’s growth, and encourage her to explore the world by playing with LEGO bricks.
“The LEGO Group’s philosophy of Learning-through-Play will accompany my daughter as she grows up.”
A diverse and inclusive LEGO Group
It is our ambition to build a truly diverse and inclusive organisation that helps us reach and inspire all children, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
How children inspire our work culture
Children are our role models, and we look to them as a constant source of inspiration. They’re curious, creative and imaginative. Our purpose and values help create a culture of fairness, trust and mutual respect that make working at the LEGO Group a truly rewarding experience.
Building family bonds
From their first day of employment, all LEGO® colleagues are offered extended paid parental leave, no matter their family constellation, how they identify, where they live or what job role they hold.