How do parents in Canada differ from parents elsewhere around the world – and what’s most important to them? To find out, we compared our data on Canadian and global parents. Here’s what we found:

Canadian parents feel pressure to make the best decisions for their kids. The vast majority (87%) think there is a lot of pressure today on parents to make the right choices when it comes to raising their children (85% globally). The majority (93%) say it’s important for parents to be involved in their child’s education and learning.

They want to be good role models for their kids and have a close relationship. Most Canadian parents (84%) believe it’s more important to be a good parent than a good friend to their kids (81% globally). Nearly all (93%) say they respect their kids’ thoughts, feelings and opinions. The same percentage (93%) want their kids to be able to talk to them about anything.

They believe kids should have some independence as they learn. Most Canadian parents (91%) think kids should learn from their own experiences – well above the global average of 85%. They also want them to try new things within a safe space. Virtually all Canadian parents (94%) believe kids need space to experiment, but within boundaries (90% globally).

Resilience is a key value. The vast majority (94%) of Canadian parents say it’s important to prepare their children for whatever life throws them.

Grandparents are an important influence. Canadian parents are more likely to agree that grandparents can have a big influence on children’s development (91% Canada, 86% globally). They also believe that grandparents make good role models (84% Canada, 81% globally). Grandparents are fun for kids, too! Nearly half (45%) of Canadian kids aged 6 to 11 say they enjoy playing games and doing puzzles with their grandmas and grandpas – above the global average of 39%.