More than half of U.S. parents wanted more parental leave

The largest-of-its-kind survey on U.S. parents with kids under the age of 6 finds that more than half of respondents (55%) say they had less parental leave time than they wanted. Most parents (59%) took six weeks or less of leave, with dads taking only two weeks, versus a median of 10 weeks for mothers. Other key findings: Twenty-seven percent reported that work obligations got in the way of quality time with their kids, while 43% of moms with young children say they’ve struggled to meet basic needs, compared to 34% of fathers. Moms are also more likely to say they cannot afford to spend their time the way they want.