Karlo Campana plays Magnatiles with his daughters Gianna and Giselle, while his 5-month-old son Gianluca watches. Campana is one of the growing number of California men taking advantage of the state's paid bonding leave program. Dania Maxwell for NPR hide caption

Dania Maxwell for NPR

Karlo Campana is usually outnumbered these days. He has three young kids under age 4.

On a recent Saturday, he played a mini-game of basketball with his two older kids in their Southern California home, shooting a ball into a hoop on the door, while his baby boy watched from his bouncy chair.

Campana took paid time off in May after the birth of his son — just as he did for his daughters.

It's sometimes called "bonding" or "family" leave, to distinguish it from the paid leave ("maternity" or "disability" leave) that mothers can take to physically recover from childbirth.

"You need that adjustment period," he said.…