As a teacher at St Joseph's College, he saw fathers with his students every day but never knew what it was like — until he had Matilda.
With Father's Day on Sunday, COVID-19 has made it made it hard for the Leslie family and many others to celebrate the way they otherwise would have.
And while it would usually be a get together any other year, Mr Leslie said it would be good to see what was in store for his own little family.
“When I was a kid, we used to get up and make dad a special breakfast before going to church as a family on Father's Day,” he said.
“Then we would all come home and have lunch together and enjoy each other's company.
“After moving to Echuca about 10 years ago, we started spending Father's Day with my wife Chelsea's dad and that's when her siblings would come home and we would spend the day with lots of food, games and good times.”
While, of course, the plans for this year are being kept on the down low, there still aren't a lot of options.
“Chels is very creative and I think this would be something where she would like to build her own traditions, but I'm just happy with whatever comes and to spend time with my family,” he said.
Unfortunately lockdown has meant Matilda, who is four months old, has missed out on a few vital relationships.
“We are very family-orientated and because of the pandemic, Matilda has never met some of her cousins on either side,” he said.
“We know she will be a bit too young to remember, but we still want her to know as many people as she can.”
But on the other hand, lockdown has allowed Mr Leslie to be home more for his young family.
“In an unusual circumstance, it's actually been great for me,” he said.
“Because I'm a teacher, I would obviously be at school most of the day and I may be able to duck home at recess and lunch to spend time with her.
“But because we are working from home and have been a lot this year, I'm able to be there and spend extra hours with her.
“I've been able to play with her, read to her and get to know her. She learns something new every single day so it's a huge privilege to be home and a part of that. I've been very blessed.”
Needless to say, Mr Leslie has found fatherhood to be one of the best experiences of his life.
“It's been amazing and like nothing I could have ever imagined before,” he said.
“It's completely changed the way I see the world, especially in regards to the way I relate to other people.
“Now I have my own child, I can see the way parents look at their children that I teach and I can put myself in their shoes.
“It's also amazing to see how Matilda grows and changes every day and it's really special that I get to be a part of that.”
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