Sio: 'Time for children cannot be a privilege for a few'

"I think that the first weeks of a child's life are very important, which is why I chose to take three months leave when my children were born. I know, however, that it is a luxury that not many can afford'. This is what Sio, a cartoonist from Verona born in 1988 and father of two children, now aged 7 and 3 and a half, says as he embarks on a journey into fatherhood made up of daily care, continuous introspection and new awareness.

The idea of parenting based on equal sharing of family burdens was translated into the decision, when both children were born, to suspend professional commitments, publicly claiming the value of that break. 'My job,' Sio explains, retracing his choice, 'guaranteed me a 'buffer', also economically, but for most fathers, especially freelancers, it is very difficult to stop. This also has repercussions on the family structure because, she adds, it is 'precisely in the first few weeks, between tiredness and vulnerability, that traditional gender roles risk crystallising, often unconsciously'.

Sio, born Simone Albrigi, is a cartoonist and independent author, active between publishing and digital platforms. In 2006 he founded the comics blog Scottecs Comics, which in 20 years has become an ecosystem of videos, comics, podcasts and print publications with a total audience of almost 4.5 million people. In 2022, in addition to his work as a webcomic author, he became a publisher and, together with some colleagues, on the basis of shared work and ethical principles, founded the Gigaciao publishing house.

Reading aloud with his children is a key moment for him to nurture the relationship, but there is no shortage of opportunities to teach each other: "Watching them go from argument to laughter in an instant reminds me every day how important it is to learn to let go," he reflects.

For Sio, fatherhood is also a path of personal evolution: 'I try to invest every energy not only to be a present parent but to ensure that it is a quality presence'. A path supported by his partner, to whom he acknowledges a fundamental role: 'If I am growing as a man and as a father, it is also thanks to her.