Reader's Digest Teens Grading Parents

Toronto, ON - Any student knows how it feels to bring a report card home from school to show their parents. Well Reader's Digest figured it was time to turn the tables. Participating in an online Reader's Digest/Ipsos-Reid survey, Canadian teens gave mom and/or dad a report card on how good of a job they're doing as parents. Teens and their parents can then use the report card to discuss the "grades" and any issues that they find.

More than nine in ten (92%) Canadian teens give their Mom an overall good grade, with 50% giving her an `A.' This compares to just two in three (65%) who give dad get an overall good grade, with 29% giving him an `A.'

The teens were asked to grade their Mom's and Dad's performance in a number of different areas. It appears that Moms excel most in the areas of birthdays (73% give an `A'), providing a home that is happy and safe (72% give an `A'), and working hard (72% give an `A'). Dads also excel most in working hard (61% give an `A') and providing a home that is happy and safe (53% give an `A'), but not to the same extent. In fact, Moms beat Dads in all areas except driving, where the results are actually quite close (46% Dad vs. 41% Mom).

Moms need to shape up most in giving good advice without lecturing or preaching (16% give an `A'), talking things through without losing their temper (19% give an `A'), and not pressuring or guilt tripping them (22% give an `A'). Dads also need to shape up in giving good advice without lecturing or preaching (9% give an `A'), talking things through without losing their temper (10% give an `A'), but above all they need the most help with fashion (5% give an `A').

Half of Moms get good grades in Sex Ed. (54% score `A' and `B') compared to less than one-quarter of Dads (23%). One in six (16%) Moms haven't explained sex to their teens compared to one in three (34%) Dads.

Six in ten (58%) Canadian teenagers consider Mom "cool" compared to one in three (36%) teenagers who think Dad's cool. However, less than one in ten consider Mom and Dad "uncool" (6% and 9% respectively).

One in five (20%) teens consider Mom to be too strict, compared to one in four (25%) who think Dad's too strict. One in ten don't think Mom and Dad are strict enough (12% and 10% respectively). Most teens think Mom and Dad are just strict enough (67% and 50% respectively)!

No one thing stands out for things Canadian teens will do differently when they become parents. However top mentions are less strict (23% future moms and dads) and show more interest (11% future moms, 10% future dads). And after all is said and done, one in five say they will do nothing differently insinuating their parents are good the way they are (22% future moms, 23% future dads).

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted for Reader's Digest between January 16th and January 21st, 2004. The online survey is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 Canadian teenagers; 200 from each age between 14 and 18 with a 50/50 gender split. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire Canadian population of 14-18 year olds been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

Virtually All Mom's Receive An Overall Good Grade Compared To Two In Three Dads

More than nine in ten (92%) Canadian teens give their Mom an overall good grade, with 50% giving her an `A.' On the other hand, just two in three (65%) give dad an overall good grade, with 29% giving him an `A.'

• 15 year olds are less likely than others to give Dad an `A' or `B' overall (56% vs. 67%).

In All Cases But One (Driving), Moms Beat Dads Hands Down

Moms excel most in the areas of birthdays (73% give an `A'), providing a home that is happy and safe (72%), and working hard (72%). Dads also excel most in working hard (61%) and providing a home that is happy and safe (53%), but not to the same extent. In fact, Moms beat Dads in all areas except driving, where the results are actually quite close (46% Dad vs. 41% Mom).

Moms need to shape up most in giving good advice without lecturing or preaching (16%), talking things through without losing their temper (19%), and not pressuring or guilt tripping them (22%). Dads also need to shape up in giving good advice without lecturing or preaching (9%), talking things through without losing their temper (10%), but above all they need the most help with fashion (5%).

14 year olds are more likely than other teenagers to give an `A' or `B' to:

• Their mother for helping them with their homework (78% vs. 67%).

15 year olds are less likely than other teenagers to give an `A' or `B' to:

• Their mother for giving good advice without preaching (46% vs. 56%);

• Their father for accepting them as they are (56% vs. 65%);

• Their father for understanding them (37% vs. 46%);

• Their father for not pressuring or guilt-tripping them (39% vs. 49%);

• Their father for having a good sense of humour (60% vs. 69%);

• Their father for setting reasonable curfews (54% vs. 62%);

• Their father for having values they admire and respect (58% vs. 69%);

• Their father for teaching them values to live by (61% vs. 68%);

• Their mother (73% vs. 80%) and their father (53% vs. 66%) for allowing them to be independent; and

• Their mother (84% vs. 91%) and their father (63% vs. 73%) for encouraging them to think for themselves.

15 year old boys are more likely than 15 year old girls to give an `A' or `B' to:

• Their mother for helping them with their homework (74% vs. 60%);

• Their mother for listening to them (81% vs. 65%); and

• Their father for setting reasonable curfews (62% vs. 50%).

17 year old girls are more likely than 17 year old boys to give an `A' or `B' to:

• Their mother for not pressuring or guilt tripping them (65% vs. 46%);

• Their mother for making their friends feel welcome (93% vs. 82%); and

• Their mother for trusting them (88% vs. 75%).

Girls are more likely than boys to give an `A' or a `B' to:

• Their mother for knowing their best friend's name (87% vs. 83%);

• Their mother for being a good driver (79% vs. 73%);

• Their father for showing them affection (60% vs. 51%); and

• Their father for giving them a reasonable amount of pocket money (49% vs. 41%).

Boys are more likely than girls to give an `A' or a `B' to:

• Their mother for accepting them as they are (86% vs. 81%).

Teenagers living outside Quebec are more likely than teenagers living in Quebec to give an `A' or `B' to:

• Their mother for making an effort for their birthday (94% vs. 89%);

• Their father for giving good advice without lecturing or preaching (38% vs. 29%);

• Their father for being a good cook (56% vs. 45%);

• Their father for being proud of them (71% vs. 64%);

• Their father for talking things through without losing his temper (39% vs. 32%);

• Their father for encouraging them to think for themselves (72% vs. 66%);

• Their mother (60% vs. 53%) and their father (48% vs. 37%) for giving them a reasonable amount of pocket money;

• Their mother (90% vs. 83%) and their father (69% vs. 59%) for having values they admire or respect;

• Their mother (86% vs. 72%) and their father (65% vs. 50%) for accepting that they have their own taste in music;

• Their mother (72% vs. 62%) or their father (46% vs. 32%) for helping them with their homework; and

• Their mother (87% vs. 80%) and their father (52% vs. 42%) for knowing their best friend's name.

Teenagers living in Quebec are more likely than teenagers living across the rest of the country to give an `A' or `B' to:

• Their mother for sticking up for them (92% vs. 87%); and

• Their mother for respecting their privacy (82% vs. 75%).

Neither Mom Nor Dad Excels In Sex Ed., But Mom Certainly Does Better

Half of Moms get good grades in Sex Ed. (54% score `A' and `B') compared to less than one-quarter of Dads (23%). One in six (16%) Moms haven't explained sex to their teens compared to one in three (34%) Dads.

Mom's Results:

• Girls are more likely than boys to give their mother an `A' or a `B' for her attempts at Sex Ed (60% vs. 46%), while boys are more likely not to have gotten the talk at all (21% vs. 12%).

• Teenagers living in Quebec are more likely than teenagers living elsewhere in the country to give their mother an `A' or a `B' for her attempts at Sex Ed. (60% vs. 51%), while teenagers living outside of Quebec are more likely not to have gotten he talk at all (18% vs. 12%).

Dad's Results:

• Boys are more likely than girls to give their father an `A' or a `B' for his attempts at Sex Ed (30% vs. 18%), while girls are more likely not to have gotten the talk at all (41% vs. 27%).

• Teenagers living outside of Quebec are more likely than those living in Quebec not to have gotten the talk at all (37% vs. 25%).

Moms Cooler Than Dads, But Dads Aren't Any More "Uncool"

Six in ten (58%) Canadian teenagers consider Mom cool compared to one in three (36%) teenagers who think Dad's cool. Less than one in ten consider Mom and Dad "uncool" (6% and 9% respectively).

Most Think Parents Are Strict Enough, Although Slightly More Dads Considered Too Strict

One in five (20%) Canadian teens consider Mom to be too strict, compared to one in four (25%) who think Dad's too strict. One in ten don't think Mom and Dad are strict enough (12% and 10% respectively). Most teens think Mom and Dad are strict enough (67% and 50% respectively).

One In Five Won't Do Anything Different When They Become Parents

No one thing stands out for things Canadian teens will do differently when they become parents. However top mentions are less strict (23% future moms and dads) and show more interest (11% future moms, 10% future dads). One in five say they will do nothing differently insinuating they're parents are good the way they are (22% future moms, 23% future dads). Please open the attached PDF to view the embedded tables, factum and detailed tables.

-30-

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Dr. Glenys Babcock
Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900