Percentage of people responding to a survey conducted by Ipsos for Vrbo who cited stuffed animals as the most important thing their child brings with them on vacation: 55

Percentage who said their child has left a toy or stuffed animal behind while away from home: 69

If that happened, percentage of respondents who said they'd buy a duplicate and pretend it was the original: 48

Source: Vrbo.

Amount American kids (4-14 years old) are earning in allowance money over the summer, according to a study by RoosterMoney: $107 ($428 over the year)

Percentage they're saving: 35

Source: RoosterMoney.

Percentage of physicians who say self-care should be considered an essential part of a patient's overall health, yet only 39 percent of consumers say they practice it often, according to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Samueli Integrative Health Programs: 90

Percentage of doctors who say patients do not seem very interested in discussing self-care: 46

Percentage of patients who say they are interested in discussing it with their health care provider: 72

Source: Samueli Integrative Health Programs.

Number of minutes of quality time the average American family spends together per weekday, according to research from Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews: 37

Percentage of kids who think parents don't understand what it's like to be a kid today: 33

Percentage who wish they could spend more time with their parents: 79

On average, percentage who wish they had more one-on-one time with their parents: 71

Percentage of kids who wished they could decide the order of the meal (dessert first!) when ordering out with their families: nearly 60

Source: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

Percentage of senior dog owners who do not know when a dog is considered a senior, according to a survey by Purina: 83

Percentage of senior dog owners who correctly identified 7 as the age a dog becomes a senior: 17

Percentage who thought that age 10 is when a dog is considered a senior: 31

Percentage who know their senior dog needs regular activity, but only 77 percent agree their senior dog exercises regularly: 93

Rank of aging (58%) on the list of the biggest concerns among senior dog owners: 1

Source: Purina.

Percentage of adults with student loans who aren't saving for retirement due to their student loans, including almost half (48%) of people with student debt ages 18-34 and over a third (34%) of those 55 or older, according to a survey by YouGov on behalf of Abbott: 42

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of people who believe that mental well-being is just as important as physical well-being, according to a study by Travelzoo: 92

Percentage who agree that taking a holiday or short break helps them to feel less stressed, regain higher productivity at work and reidentify their best selves: 83

Source: Travelzoo.

Percentage of consumers who have blacklisted a brand as the result of a bad experience, according to a study conducted by Oracle in partnership with Jeanne Bliss: 43

Percentage who said they would never shop with a company again after just one bad experience: 34

Percentage who share their negative experiences: 88

Source: Oracle.

Percentage of millennials who report having a lawn is important when renting or buying a home, beating out even an updated kitchen, according to a survey by the National Association of Landscape Professionals: 82

Percentage of Americans who have a lawn: 81

Percentage who say a lawn is an important feature when renting or buying a home: 79

Percentage who garden in their yard multiple times a week: 32

Percentage who say they entertain in their yards at least once a month, while 57% use their yards for recreation at least monthly: 47

Source: Vault Communications.

Percentage of managers in the U.S. who are either currently using automation or expect to do so within the next three to five years, according to a Robert Half survey: 79

Percentage who are either currently using artificial intelligence/machine learning or plan to use it within the next three to five years: 83

Percentage who are either currently using virtual reality or expect to do so within the next three to five years: 71

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle thought

"Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." -- Flannery O'Connor, writer

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of working Americans who would accept a job with no vacation time if they were paid more, according to a survey released by Allianz Global Assistance: 49

Percentage raise for which the average American would give up paid vacation time for a salary increase: 48

Percentage who would be willing to give up their paid time off for an increase of 24 percent or less: 20

Percentage who would need 25 to 49 percent more: 29

Source: Allianz Global Assistance.

Percentage of U.S. adults age 18 and over who agree that nothing makes them happier or more confident in life than when their finances are in order, according to a Northwestern Mutual study: 92

Percentage who say their financial planning needs improvement: 62

Percentage who identify themselves as either disciplined or highly disciplined planners: 59

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of children under 12 who are not getting enough active free play, such as running around or riding bikes, according to an international study by The Genius of Play and Fundamentally Children: 75

Percentage of 1- to 4-year-olds who may be missing out on structured social play, specifically sports games (57%) and board and card games (60%): 59

Percentage of 5- through 8-year-olds who are not getting the recommended amount of pretend play, such as playing with dolls or action figures: 68

Source: The Genius of Play.

Percentage of workers who cite Monday as their most productive day of the workweek, according to data from staffing firm Accountemps: 29

Percentage who say they get the most work done before lunchtime: 75

Percentage who cite chatty co-workers as their single biggest productivity killer: 32

When it comes to a productive environment, percentage of workers who say they get the most work done when in a private office with the door closed: 36

Source: Accountemps.

Estimated percentage of recent college graduates (within the last five years) who report that their student loan debt has hindered their life in some significant way, leaving them stagnant, according to a survey by Student Loan Hero: 80

Ranks of not traveling, saving for retirement, going out with friends and investing on the list of areas impacted by respondents' student loan repayments: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Lending Tree.

Percentage of adult Americans (27% of the females and 32% of the males) who said that foreplay lasted 10 to 20 minutes on average, according to a survey by Adam and Eve: 29

Percentage of the respondents who said their usual foreplay clocked in between just five and 10 minutes: 45

Percentage who said foreplay usually lasted less than five minutes: 14

Source: Adam and Eve.

Percentage of consumers who believe plastic materials are endlessly recyclable, when, in fact, plastic food and beverage products are commonly "downcycled" into lower-grade products or sent directly to landfills, according to a survey released by Consumer Action: 58

Percentage of respondents who consider helping the environment an important factor in what they buy, and that there is significant consumer appetite for shifting purchasing to food sold in endlessly recyclable containers, such as metal cans and glass jars: 73

Percentage who support the shift from single-use plastic packaging to metal: 77

Source: Consumer Action.

Percentage of American adults who say they don't hike because of perceived barriers, such as not living close to trails or not having anyone to hike with, according to a survey Merrell: 53

Though hiking and outdoor adventure seem to be flourishing, percentage of people who identify as avid hikers: 19

Percentage who say they're not fit enough for hiking: 22

Percentage of respondents who say that not seeing people like them on the trail keeps them from hiking: 10

Percentage who say they've never hiked and don't know how to get started: 10

Source: Merrell.

Percentage of respondents who reported that elementary school students are at least sometimes asked to submit assignments from home via connected devices, according to a survey of Communities in Schools affiliates across 26 states and the District of Columbia: 62

Percentage of middle school students who are asked to submit assignments from home via connected devices: 88

Percentage for students attending high school: 94

Source: Communities in Schools.

Percentage of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries who were aware that routine rides (non-emergency) to doctor appointments were covered, according to a HealthMine survey: 27

Percentage who said free extra benefits would be a motivator to choose a plan: 60

Ranks of "transportation reimbursement," "assistance at home" and "at-home food deliveries/nutrition assistance" on the list of the benefits respondents prefer to be added to their plan: 1, 2, 3

Source: HealthMine.

Idle Thought

"There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot." -- Derek Bok, lawyer and educator

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of credit card holders who will use rewards points to pay for their summer vacations, according to a report from CompareCards.com: 64

Percentage of credit card holders who said they expect credit card rewards to cover more than half of their summer vacation costs in 2019: 20

Source: CompareCards.

Percentage of U.S. millennials who say it's important to live in the moment, according to a Kahlua survey: 90

Percentage who say they have missed an important moment because they were trying to capture it on social media: 60

Percentage who say it is important to them that their photos get likes: 60

Percentage of millennials who check for likes a minute or less after posting: 34

Source: Kahlua.

Percentage of managers who were "confident that all employees had a clear understanding of the company's mission and vision," according to an industry-wide survey by Betterworks: 33

Percentage who felt their senior leaders lived the stated values: 39

Source: Betterworks.

Percentage of Americans who get into fights about household chores, according to the results of a survey by TaskRabbit, conducted in partnership with Wakefield Research: 78

Percentage who have gotten into an argument with a roommate, friend, family member or significant other over "the right way" to clean things: 46

Percentage who reported heated debate about the right way to assemble furniture: 27

Percentage who struggled to find common ground on the best way to fold laundry: 23

Source: TaskRabbit.

According to a Harris Poll/LEGO survey conducted in the U.S., U.K. and China, percentage of children age 8 to 12 who say they are interested in space exploration, with 90% responding that they'd like to learn more about it: 86

Percentage of parents (averaged across the three countries) who participated in the survey who believe their children are interested in space, citing teachers and the internet as primary learning sources: 83

Source: The LEGO Group.

Estimated number of people who did not have enough to eat in 2018 -- 1 in 9 people -- according to the annual report The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World: 821.6 million

Number in Asia: 513.9 million

Numbe in Africa: 256.1 million

Number in Latin America and the Caribbean: 42.5 million

Number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure: 2 billion

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Percentage of Americans who prefer quick getaways of three nights or less vs. a longer vacation, according to a survey by online travel site Hotwire: 90

Percentage who prefer a quick weekend trip to a quick roll in the hay: 75

Source: Hotwire.

On average, amount more that IT professionals with critical skills are earning this year, compared to 2018, according to findings in the Global Knowledge 2019 IT Skills and Salary Report: $5,000

Percentage of professionals who said that after completing certification training, their expertise is more sought after within their organization: 52

Percentage who report that they have implemented efficiency projects: 45

Source: Global Knowledge.

Percentage of users of ad blockers who say they would avoid a company's website if that company targeted them with ads, according to a new survey report from portfolio website Visual Objects: 45

Percentage of ad blocker users who say data collection in online advertising is an invasion of privacy: 63

Source: Visual Objects.

Percentage of employers who said they are more open to hiring interim workers to bridge gaps while looking for a full-time employee than they were two years ago, according to a Robert Half survey: 53

Percentage of managers who would consider a long period of consistent work as comparable to full time when evaluating applicants: 71

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle Thought

"It's best to give while your hand is still warm." -- Philip Roth, novelist

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)