Intergenerational Interview
As part of deepening our understanding on the Psychodynamic Theory, we were tasked to interview a parent/guardian. I decided to interview my dad while we were talking over lunch. These were the questions I asked, and here are his responses:
What was it like for you growing up?
My dad mentioned that he had a fun childhood. Being with six siblings was a load of fun for him, especially since their age gap wasn’t huge at all. He also remembers some disciplinary actions that Lolo took up with him. He remembers how he and a cousin were caught trying to light up a cigarette when they were younger. Lolo caught them and had them sit in a corner for two hours doing absolutely nothing.
What is the most memorable story (for you) about me growing up?
His most memorable story of me was when I was around 4 or 5 years old and I entered an Easter egg painting contest with my then 9 year old cousin. My cousin won a prize, and I didn’t. I then threw a tantrum and threw the paintbrushes around, crying and complaining that it wasn’t fair how the little kids had to compete with the big kids (which actually made sense, tbh). I was spanked for the first time that day- my dad had me hold out my hands and I was spanked with his belt.
From these questions, I learned a little more about my dad, and also about how I was raised. I realised that my dad had access to a fun and happy childhood, but Lolo was also a lot more strict towards his children. My Lolo was a disciplinarian, which, I guess, was how most parents were back in the day. My dad, in turn, carried this trait with him on his journey as a parent, although his is a watered down version of Lolo’s. My dad is considerably less strict, and did not physically discipline me as much as Lolo did to his children. Although, I do remember moments wherein my dad would ask me to take out my hands as he spanked them with a belt, I also remember instances wherein he would resort to giving me a talk instead of a spanking. My dad says that he remembered Lolo’s lessons when he remembered the slight pain of the spanking, and I suppose he thought I would benefit from that as well. I do believe that the spanking considerably made me remember the wrongs that I have done, yet, I think I wouldn’t want my children to recall their mistakes through physical discipline. Overall, I think that my dad’s parenting had done me some good - I’ve grown to learn from these mistakes all while still bringing in some fun in my life.