In Brief

By Alice Park

NEEDING MOM AND DAD You might not think teens would admit to needing their parents. But in keeping with their unpredictable reputation, 21% of 12- to 15-year-olds surveyed by the YMCA said they wished their busy parents had more time to spend with them. They listed the shrinking time their families spend together as one of their top concerns. In the same survey, 47% of fathers and 38% of mothers said they were trying to find more time to spend with their kids.

INJURED ON THE FIELD Almost 1 million kids are rushed to the emergency room each year for sports-related injuries, with football, not surprisingly, causing the largest share of the damage. Most parents, according to a recent opinion survey by the National Safe Kids' Campaign, assume that broken bones and cuts and bruises are an unavoidable part of the cost of playing contact sports. But the campaign's experts say about half of children's sports injuries can be prevented with the right protective equipment, conditioning and trained adult supervision.

Sports-injury rates Of 5-to 14-year-olds who play each sport

Football 28% Soccer 22% Baseball* 18% Basketball 15%

*Including softball and T-ball

FAMILY FIRST Even for busy professionals, quality time with the family takes top priority, according to the Radcliffe Public Policy Center. Almost 80% of men and women ages 21 to 65 who were polled ranked having a work schedule that allows time spent with the family as very important. Only 23% listed job status as very important, but among those, more women than men ranked job prestige of utmost importance, representing a historic shift, according to researchers.

--By Alice Park