HDFS 2950 Interview Paper
- 1. Ellie Jourolmon HDFS2950, 15302 Dr. Bermúdez December 7, 2021 I interviewed Mckenzi Kesler, my six-year-old step-cousin, for this assignment. Mckenzi is a first-grade student at Elbert County Primary School. In school, she is a part of the gifted program and is considered advanced for her grade. In Mckenzi's personal life, her parents take part in co-parenting . Her parents alternate weekends in which she spends time with them, living with her mother on weekdays. I interviewed her on November 25, 2021. The interview lasted approximately twenty-two minutes; the people present were her father and stepmother. For me, the interview gave me a sense of how someone that age views the world. I was able to more fully understand what is most important to children of that age group. While interviewing Mckenzi, I saw elements of self-concept within her answers. When I asked her about what she liked most about herself and how she would describe herself, she answered in a way that showed high self-esteem . She talked about how she is pretty, a good friend, smart, and funny. Mckenzi explained how her favorite aspect about herself was how many friendships she has. She talked about how she has so many best friends and even a boyfriend. Another aspect I gained from the interview was thoughts of shame and guilt . When I asked about what she would change from her past she described an incident she had on the school bus last school year. Another kid sitting in her bus seat would not move when she asked. As a result, she punched him in the eye and got suspended from the bus for a week. When she
- 2. was explaining this to me, she whispered it in my ear because she felt shameful and self-conscious about what she had done. In Mckenzi’s interview, I also asked her what job she would like to have in the future. She answered that she wanted to be a basketball coach because she could yell at people to be quiet. She described how she wants to use power assertion to help teach children to play basketball. She wanted to be able to use her sense of demandingness and be in control of others. This was another aspect she talked about when asked how she will be different when she is older. Mckenzi said when she got older, she thought that she would not play with dolls anymore and be able to tell others what to do. She said that once she got into middle school she would be able to tell her little brother and cousins what to do. Mckenzi also showed aspects of compassion. When I asked her about what is most important to her right now she talked about how she loves when her brother is sweet to her and gives her kisses. I also asked her what she likes to do in her free time and she said she likes to play with her brother. After talking about her brother, she began telling me how much she loves him and loves playing with him. She said sometimes her mom gets on to him and she begins crying too because she feels so bad for him. Mckenzi shows sympathy when it comes to her sibling because she cares for him so deeply. The last questions I asked Mckenzi about were her favorite and least favorite thing about being her age. I also asked how she has changed since she was younger. She talked about her favorite thing about being her age is being able to ride “big girl” rides at the fair. She also said her least favorite thing was always having to do chores for her mother. She started explaining how she likes being older because she can do more by herself, but now she has to also do more things around the house. When I asked about how she changed since she was younger, she
- 3. described having more creativity . Mckenzi talked about how now she can color and draw better than she could in kindergarten. She mentioned winning most of her coloring contests in her classes. This interview with Mckenzi showed me insight into what it is like being six years old. I got to see how important little things in life can be to someone at this age. The most important thing for kids is being treated as if they were a little bit older. Kids want to feel important; they want to be seen as a “big kid”. Their peers also play a big role in their life. They feel a sense of acceptance when they have large amounts of friends. Even though peers have rising importance in their life, the family still has an important role.
- 5. Interview Guide 1. What do you like most about yourself right now? 2. What do you think your future job will be? Why? 3. What is the most important thing to you right now? 4. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being your age? 5. What do you think will be different about yourself when you get older? 6. If you had to describe yourself, what would you say? 7. How do you think you have changed since your younger years? 8. If you could change anything about the past, what would it be? 9. What do you like to do in your free time?