What’s at the heart of the Canadian family?

One compelling finding from the Canadian Family Life Survey serves as the catalyst for this report. Individuals of all ages and stages of life say they feel raising a family in today’s world is more difficult than it was in the past. Seventy-seven percent of the Canadian population feels that today’s parenting challenges are “more challenging” than they were a generation ago. Persons in their sixties and seventies look back to a "golden age" when it was easier to be in a relationship. Those too young to remember are happy to concur with that view.

The premise of this report revolves around this particular thought because we believe perceptions like this perhaps place false emphasis on forces outside our control as the reason for familial discontent.

It is, of course, natural to blame such forces as changing family structures, communications media, technology, and the education system for the woes of family life. This report does not suggest that these forces do not exist or should not be altered, but there is evidence to indicate they should not become the accepted explanation for relationship problems.

Examining the results of this survey, we believe there is a strong case for looking inwardly to the heart of the matter. This search will reveal that while familial problems have changed over time and perhaps are exacerbated by external forces, most family issues and challenges emerge from the complex interplay between men, women and children; i.e. “family life.” It is the ability to call on internal resources that dictates success in relationships, rather than solely calling for change in the external world.

Download the full report below