This article explores parents' perspectives of children's learning, drawing on a comparative research project with a focus on survey data from 200 preschool parents in Japan and China. The findings were compared between the two countries in order to identify common and distinct perspectives in terms of what and how children learn in the families and preschools, and parents' expectations and concerns. Emphasised in the analysis was the importance of situating parents' perspectives within different contexts, acknowledging the subjective, contextual and diverse conceptions of children's learning.