Parent and Child Attachment Interview (Modified PDI and AAI)

Introduction (Max 10 mins) 

In this interview I am going to be asking you about your   experiences as a child and relationship with your own child/ren.   The interview has a formal structure but feel free to add anything else that you think is very important.  This interview should not take more than one hour is that alright for you?

 Let’s just start off by your telling me a little bit about your family – who lives in your family? How many children do you have?  What are their ages?  Has your family move around very much? What contact do you have with the rest of your family, grandparents etc. 

Sketch this as on a genogram and a timeline of key events. 

PARENT’S ATTACHMENT HISTORY (Max 30 mins)  

1. Can you describe your childhood?  Who was important to you and what are the main memories that stand out for you? What about your extended family? What were the most significant events in your family’s history (divorces, losses, mental health problems etc.   -   add to the Genogram and Time line)

2. When you were ill, hurt, upset  or needed comfort as a child what happened?  Can you think of a specific example, who responded to you and how?

3. Can you remember the first time you were separated from your parents? How did you feel… How do you think they felt?

4. Did you ever feel unsafe in your childhood -   felt rejected, frightened or hurt physically or emotionally by your parents as a young child?  Can you describe a specific example?

5. Did anyone significant for you die during your childhood?  Can you describe the most significant loss? What happened? How did you and your parents react?

6. How do you think your childhood experiences have made you the person you are now?

7. How do you think your experiences of being parented affect your experience of being a parent now?    How do you want to be like and unlike your mother/father as a parent and as a partner in your relationship/marriage?

8. How did your parents work together to assist, guide, comfort you?   How did they agree, support each other, can you think of a specific example?  How do you want your relationship with your partner/other parent to be like or unlike how your parents worked together? 

PARENT – CHILD RELATIONSHIP        Max 30 mins)

1. Can you tell me a little bit about your child? What does he/she like to do? 

2. Describe a time in the last week when you and (your child) really “clicked”.  (Can you tell me more about this time?  How did you feel?  How do you think (your child) felt?). Can you also describe a time in the last week when you and (your child) were really “not clicking”. (How did you feel?  How do you think (your child) felt?)

3. Tell me about a time in the last week or two when you felt angry or upset as a parent.  What effect do these feelings have on you and your child?

4. Tell me about a time in the last week or two when your child was upset or angry, what did he/she do?  How did that make you feel?  What did you do?

5. How do you think the difficulties have influenced your relationship? When does your child need support from you?  How do you feel when this happens?

6. I’d like you to think of a time when you and your child weren’t together, when you were separated.  Can you describe it to me?  What kind of effect did it have on your child?  What kind of effect did it have on you?

7. What sort of a relationship do you think you will with your child will when he/she is an adult

8. How do you work together (divide up roles, tasks, style of parenting etc.) with your partner/co-parent (other parental figures, e.g. grand-parents) to support your child, deal with difficulties etc? Can you think of a specific example when this went well and where it more difficult