Parent Interview

Background Information

Date of parent interview: Jan 30, 2020

Child’s name: M                                                 

Child’s date of birth: Jan 19, 2017

	Family   M is 3 years old. She lives with her biological mother and father who are married. She has one older sibling, a brother aged 8. Her mother is of Jewish background and her father is of Japanese descent. M, her brother, and both of her parents were born in Canada. M’s father converted to Judaism in recent years and this is the families religious background.   M’s mother is a counsellor and her father is a top chef in Toronto. She is from  a middle class background. Both of her parents are university and college educated.   M’s family has 1 dog that is older in age and she has close relationship with her maternal grandparents and her aunt.   M’s families parenting style involves using a calm demeanor due to her counselling background. The educators at the centre implement a lot of these same practices with M to keep the parenting style consistent. This is also used when M is displaying challenging behaviours.
	Other important people in the child’s life   M is not very close with other children at the centre. She has a secure attachment with the educators. M has been at the centre since she was an infant so the centre is like her second home. M is usually seen showing her work to her educators and staying close by to them during the day. Her older brother also attended the centre, so there is a close family relationship with the educators and supervisors.   During a traumatic time in the family’s life, M also had a secure attachment with her aunt and her grandparents who would pick her up most times. She usually talks about her aunt and grandparents while she is at the centre.   M has one friend at the centre. She likes to talk about her friend and often picks the child to engage in activities together.
	Parent’s description of the child’s temperament, interests and strengths M’s temperament is slow to warm up. She is slow to warm up around new people in the classroom and new routines. M is usually seen staying away from the person until she gets to know them. M also takes a while to adjust to new experiences. When there is a change in her routine, she often cries a lot and is slow to adjust.   Drop off in the morning is a difficult time for M. It takes her a long time to say goodbye to her mother. This is slowly getting better. M has a toy that she brings to help her with the morning transition. She will hug this toy until she feels better. Her mother and the educators gave M a lot of time during the morning for her to adjust and transition. The educators have pictures of her family in an album and sometimes M looks at this for comfort. She will also draw pictures of her family to self-regulate. When M is crying uncontrollably, the educators will give her space to cry, such as sitting down in a certain area of the classroom.   When M is upset, she cries a lot. She is very aware of her emotions and knows how to express them. She is able is vocalize that she is sad or mad.   M has excellent vocabulary skills. She was speaking in full sentences from the age of 17 months. She is very expressive and has enhanced recall and memory. M is able to recall memories from family vacations and other events in the past.   Overall, M is very social, happy, enjoys talking, and is comfortable with adults more so than other children. Her favourite thing to do to in the classroom is put on the princess dresses, paint, colour, draw, and play with blocks. Another favourite area of the classroom is the home area. She enjoys playing with her baby dolls which is named after her late sister.   M uses her baby doll for self- regulation when she is feeling upset. Overall, M is very independent. She is often seen playing by her self, and prefers to be amongst adults rather than other children. She enjoys doing things on her own during work time.
	Significant health issues M does not have any significant health issues. She was not born prematurely and does not have any dietary restrictions or allergies.   M’s family members do not have any significant health issues either.   M did not have any speech delays or any other concerns with her growth and development.
	Significant life events There was a traumatic event in the family a few years ago. M’s mother lost a baby full term during the birth. M’s mother was hospitalized for one month follow the loss. M held the baby prior to the death. Their parents named the baby Delilah. M stayed with her grandparents and aunt during this time. M cried a lot and was sad during this period in the family’s life. M talks a lot about her late sister often at the centre. M has a baby doll that she named after her late sister.
	Additional Information M likes to have a structured routine. If her routine is slightly adjusted, she becomes upset. During drop off, she needs to go around the entire centre and say good morning and hello to everyone before she goes to her room.   M was toilet trained from a very early age and she does not speak another language.