Most parents uncertain kids will fulfill their hopes: poll
Posted March 7, 2014 7:58 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you have children, you can probably relate to this story; a new survey that examines the hopes and anxieties of moms and dads suggests nearly seven in 10 Canadians aren’t sure their kids will live up to their expectations.
Jennifer Thomas with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada says the survey shows many parents feel a lot of stress in trying to make a better life for their kids.
She points out a lot of parents don’t have family around them, and another mentor for a child can be a big help.
Among the findings were that parents’ hopes for their kids don’t have to do with pressure on their child, but have more to do with their child having the confidence and values to make good decisions.
Thomas adds other top aspirations parents have for their kids include wanting them to get a job they love, and wanting them to experience the joy of personal freedom, “and that there were barriers around achieving these aspirations — things like family situation, financial situation, stress at home.”
The survey also finds eight in 10 parents say they feel they haven’t fulfilled their own parents’ expectations.
“It was interesting; I think it was about 30 per cent of parents who said that they wanted their kids to have kids so they would realize how difficult it was to become parents,” explains Thomas.
Forty-one per cent want all they’ve done to be appreciated by their kids, 22 per cent want their kids to give them grandchildren, and 17 per cent want their kids to support them when they become elderly.
