Questions for Parents
- If you can keep the culture’s idealized image of parenthood out of the picture, what is most important to each of you in raising your child?
- What do you or could you and your partner each contribute to what is important to you?
- What do you know about yourself and your partner that makes you confident that this could happen or could continue to happen?
- What do you hope to protect and nurture in your own relationship?
- How have you been able to do that or how can you imagine doing that?
- What have you appreciated already in your partner’s parenting that you might not have predicted?
Questions for Grandparents
- What do you most hope for in your relationship with your grandchild?
- What has happened so far that contributes to that?
- In establishing this relationship what have been the effects on your relationship with your child and his or her partner (if they have one)? Is that what you intended?
- How might you get what you want with both your children and grandchildren?
- What do you appreciate in your child as a parent? Does he or she know that?
Questions for Young Parents
- What does being a parent at this particular time in your life offer that might not be available at other times?
- If you keep the knowledge of this advantage in your awareness, how will that make a difference?
- If you think about your whole life, are there important things that you are putting on hold? How can you keep dreams and plans of those things alive for your future?
- Who supports and finds joy in your parenting at this time in your life? Does it make a difference to spend more time with them?
Questions for Single Adult Parents
- If you think about yourself as a sole parent rather than a single parent what comes to light that you can appreciate about yourself?
- What are the advantages of sole parenting?
- What keeps these advantages hidden?
- How is your family part of a larger community?
- What does this connection contribute to your child?
- What have you done to make this possible?