Motherhood Diary ··Source: New America, New Practice Lab
Most of what gets written about parenting and childcare is about what’s going wrong. This time, researchers tried something simpler: they asked parents what they want their days to look like.
New America’s New Practice Lab ran the 2026 National Parent Survey, reaching 5,472 parents of children under six across all 50 states and D.C., including 2,915 with lower incomes. It’s the largest survey of its kind outside of government. And the researchers went in to listen, not to test ready-made solutions.
The answer was time. Nearly three in four parents, 72%, said they want more quality time with their children. When asked what they’d do with it, the most common answers were playing, getting outside and traveling together. That wish held steady across income, geography, race and ethnicity, and moms and dads alike.
What gets in the way? Money, mostly. Among parents whose childcare isn’t what they’d choose, 54% named cost as the top barrier. And for many, the gap starts at the very beginning: 55% of parents said the time they had at home after their baby arrived was shorter than they wanted.
Parents don’t agree on what ideal care looks like, and that’s okay. About a third would rather care for their children themselves, about one in five would want a mix of arrangements, and others prefer another parent or family member, or a formal setting like a center. No single option was the top choice for more than about a third of parents, and preferences shift as children grow. Wanting to be the main caregiver is strongest during the baby months. The researchers say that range is exactly why families need real options, at home and in centers, formal and informal.
If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting more time with your kids, or more flexibility in how they’re cared for, you’re in very good company. Nearly three in four parents want the same thing. Wanting more time with your babies doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
Something to carry into this week: not every wish for more time turns into a schedule change. But most of us can name one small pocket of time, an unplanned afternoon or a walk outside, and protect it.
Sources: New America, New Practice Lab, “What Parents of Young Kids Want: Insights from the 2026 National Parent Survey,” May 27, 2026; coverage from The 74 and Child Care Aware of Minnesota.
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