PARENT INTERVIEW PAPER
This assignment is completed in two steps: an interview and a paper. First, you will interview a parent of an adolescent about his/her parenting beliefs. Use the following questions in the interview, and present three more questions that are informative and of particular interest to you:
1. How old is your child/children?
2. How is adolescence different from the elementary school years for your child? What changes have you seen in them?
3. How has your relationship changed since your child has entered adolescence? Give examples of how this has changed.
4. What are some boundaries and rules you have set up for your teen? What do you do if they break or a rule or disrespect a boundary?
5. Is your teen involved in a romantic relationship? Do they go on dates? What do the dates consist of?
6. What is the greatest challenge you face in regards to your relationship with your adolescent?
7. What is your child’s feeling toward his friendships? Do you think these friendships have a major influence on him/her? If so give some examples?
8. How has the world changed from the time you were a teen? What then are some new challenges your teen will face that you did not?
9. Does your child have what you would consider good or poor self-esteem? Describe how you think they perceive themselves?
10. How do you cope with the anxiety and pressures that come with parenting an adolescent?
Next, you will write a report about the interview that also includes your own philosophy on parenting. The paper is composed of three sections. In the first part of the paper, list the questions presented and answers given during the interview. This part should be two to three pages in length.
In the second part of the paper, address the following questions. Support your answers with your textbook and Scripture.
1. What parental style do you think the parent in the interview has?
2. Is this style consistent, or do you think it changes as a consequence to the child’s behavior?
3. What seems to be the greatest concern this parent has with his/her child? How does this manifest in the parent-child relationship? According to the textbook, is this common?
Be sure to put these questions as well as your answers together in your paper. This should be about one page long.
In the third and final section, reflect on your own personal parenting philosophy by addressing the following, final questions. If you are a parent, use your current philosophical approach; if you are not a parent of an adolescent at this time, use your ideal approach. Again, list the questions in your paper, and use your textbook and Bible to help support your answers. This will add one more page to your paper’s length.
1. What parenting style do you believe is the best and why?
2. How do you (the parent) balance the relationship with the adolescent and enforcing the rules of the house?
3. How does a Christian Worldview affect the way you parent your adolescents?
4. How would you approach a child that has a particular issue? Use one of these as a hypothetical example: drugs, dating boundaries, pornography, etc. Write a paragraph on how you would approach this child.
5. How would/do you cope with the anxieties and pressures that come with parenting an adolescent?
Ultimately, your paper should be three to five pages long. Submit the paper by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 6.
