The correct statement to describe the translation from the parent function \( f(x) = x^2 \) to the translated function \( f(x) = x^2 - 3 \) is:
The parent function shifted vertically down 3 units and did not change in any other way.
This is because the subtraction of 3 in the function shifts the parabola downward on the y-axis without affecting its width or horizontal positioning.