I have found a lot of parents at my work are unaware of parental leave and how it can be used. The premise is 18 weeks per child under the age of 18 - you can take a maximum of 4 weeks per year per child.
This leave is unpaid and your employer does not have to say yes to the date you choose but must allow you to take it within 6 months.
I think more awareness about this type of leave is needed, it’s vastly under used.