CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TWO OPTIONS:

OPTION 1: INTERVIEW A PARENT ASSIGNMENT

Assignment Objectives:

This is a 250-350 word paper. In this paper, you will demonstrate your ability to:

(1) Format your paper according to APA style (i.e., properly-formatted title page, Reference page, double-spacing, font: 12 point Times New Roman or similar font).

(2) Paraphrase and summarize our textbook. Do not use direct quotations unless absolutely necessary.

(3) Communicate information to the reader in a conventional manner (i.e., complete sentences and paragraphs - point-form or bulleting is not accepted)

For this assignment, you will interview your parent or grandparent. If you cannot interview your own parent or grandparent, you may choose to interview another parent who has at least one child that is at least 18 years old or older. The main objective of this assignment is to ask him/her questions about:

• the transitional experience of parenting

• the impact of parenthood on his/her marital/intimate relationship satisfaction and then compare his/her answers to the research that is cited in your textbook.

*If you are a parent yourself, you can reflect on your own experience instead of interviewing another parent

Structure:

Your paper will have the following two components:

(1) Introduction (including a clear thesis outlining the main objective for this paper and a brief introduction of your interviewee)

(2) Main body paragraph

Part 1: Interview

As a guideline, ask the parent questions pertaining to various aspects of parenthood

1. Transitional Experience: Was the transition to parenthood stressful? If so, why? What did you do to cope?

2. Impact of Parenthood: Discuss the impact of becoming a new parent. Did your marital/intimate relationship satisfaction and general life satisfaction change during the years, particularly at various points in development (e.g., after your first child; after subsequent children, if applicable; during the teen years; after the nest emptied, if applicable)?

If there was an increase in tension in your marital/intimate relationship, what were some points of conflict? If your interviewee was a single parent, describe some of the challenges. Were there sources of support (i.e., family, friends)?

Please feel free to ask your own questions.

Part 2: Analysis

Compare your interviewee's answers to the research that is cited in your textbook.

Please refer to your textbook for guidance:

• Pages 408-411, particularly Figure 14.4

• If applicable: Pages 454-458, 517-518