WAVE 6 PARENT INTERVIEW
We have sent you many questionnaires over the last 10 (?) years about your
children and your family. We have really appreciated your help over this time.
It’s provided us with good information about child development, parenting, and
education, which has been the primary focus of our study. Do you have any
questions you want to ask me about our study?
I have come to interview you today to give you an opportunity to meet face to
face with someone on the Childhood and Beyond study and to tell us in your
own words some of your opinions as a parent.
You began participating in our study when your children were young, but your
children are older now and have developed from childhood into adolescence.
Families often experience many changes during this developmental time. We
want to hear your views about your child’s adolescence and what it has been
like for you as a parent. I would like to ask you to tell me about X(child’s name)
in particular because he/she has been the one in our study over the years.
Why don’t you start by describing what it has been like in your family over the
past 6 years. What sorts of things have changed since X became an adolescent?
For example, what was your family like before and what is your family like
now?
Let the subjects answer in an unstructured way. If they are having a hard time
getting started, getting focused, or providing enough information then probe with
the following questions. Also, ask these if they have not included information that
addresses these questions in their response. These questions should be answered
before you move on to the Eco-map.
What are the three most important events that have happened to X over the
past 5 years? (events that have been the most memorable or that have
created the most change). How have these events affected you as a parent?
How have they affected your family as a whole?
What are the three most important events that have happened to you
personally over the last 5 years? That have had the greatest impact on you
as a person?
Probe: how did this affect your children?
How do you think X has changed over time?
*********************************************************************
ECO MAP
I'd like to show you this drawing and have you complete it. It's called an Eco
Map and it's a way of drawing a picture of the connections or relationships that
family members have with one another as well as with various institutions,
persons, and systems in their environment.
I’d like you to draw different lines connecting yourself and your family to each
other and to the other circles on the page. The type of line you draw will differ
depending on the nature of the relationship. For example, explain lines and
further instuctions.
After the drawing is done, look at the lines of connection that the parent has drawn. Probe
first about the family relationship lines:
In many families parents have different relationships with their children, for
example sometimes they feel that they have a closer relationship with one of
their children for a variety of reasons.
Can you describe what your relationship is like with X?
Probes: In what ways is Child A like you? personality? behavior? interests?
values?
In what ways are they like their other parent?
Which parent do you think X is closer to?
Why?
Now probe about the relationships between other membersof the family
Now probe about the relationships outside of the family circle:
-how have these connections helped you parent your children?
-how have these connections helped your child (each one?) cope
with the shift to adolescence.
Now probe about the stressful relationships outside of the family circle:
-when did these relationships become stressful?
-in what way are they stressful?
-how have they impacted you as a parent?
-how have the affected your child's shift to adolescence?
*************************************************************************
Now I'd like to ask you about your personal experiences of your own past
adolescence and about parenting now.
What was your adolescence like for you?
(Probes: who lived in your household? What were the relationships like
with your own siblings? Parents? What are they like now? Did you enjoy
your adolescence? What do you wish would have been different? What
kinds of goals did you have for your life? Did your life turn out the way
you wanted or hoped for when you were younger? What do you think
prevented you from attaining your goals?)
How did your own experiences during your adolescence affect your decisions as
a parent of an adolescent?
(Probe about their beliefs about adolescence, their decision making about rules,
etc., Probe: Are the relationships with your children similar to the relationships
you had with your parents during adolescence?)
*************************************************************************
I'm also interested in the expectations you had for X and how those might have
changed through the years. For example...
Did X meet your expectations of what they would be like when they became an
adolescent? Describe what you expected (6 years ago) and what they are like
now.
What has their adolescence been like for you as a parent?
Parents worry about many different things when their children become
adolescents. I'd like you to describe to me, as specifically as you can, what kinds
of things you worry about with regard to X.
Let the subject answer in an unstructured way. Probe about the following areas if
they are not mentioned by the subject.
Which child do you worry about more? Why?
What do you worry about in terms of school work?
Future "success" in school?
Athletics?
Social development?
Success in their social environment?
The likelihood of danger in there social environment? Explain
Of which child do you feel more protective?
What are you doing to prevent these things from happening or to protect your
child? What are you doing to help them overcome these problems?
What additional help, if any, do you need as a parent to do this?
Can you describe your future goals and expectations for X and why you think it
is likely (or unlikely) that (s)he will meet them?
Let the parent answer in an unstructured way, than probe for information :
How much education would you like X to acquire?
Do you expect X to have a career?
If yes, what type? What steps do you think it would take for him/her to
achieve this?
If no, what will they be doing?
What steps do you think would be necessary in order for the child to meet these
goals or expectations?
What barriers do you see for your child's attainment of these goals?
What are you doing to help your child meet these goals?
(Add questions about special characteristics - talents or trouble with school.)