15. Generative perspective questioning

Generative perspective questioning use key words like influence, impact, responses, respond, value, respect, significant hopes/dreams – challenges to explore people’s focus on three dimensions: Past; Present; Future

The questions use the principle of triangularisation, meaning that their full effect occurs when people consider their response to some questions from each dimension. Below are sample questions for each dimension:

Generative perspective questions – Focus on past context

• When you were growing up, what did you notice about how your parents treated each other?

• How were you disciplined as a child?

• How would you describe your childhood?

• How did you feel when your parents fought?

• What impact did your parents’ relationship have on you?

• Did you see your Mum and Dad as good role models?

• How did you see your mother in your life as a kid?

• What stands out about your father when you were a kid?

• What is your strongest memory of your father while growing up? What stood out most?

• What influenced you most about your father? What stood out?

• How do you perceive your childhood?

• Tell me about a happy time you had with your parents growing up as a child.

• Did you attend the birth of your children? What was it like?

• How did you feel when your children were born? What hopes and aspirations did you have for them?

• What did you do when your parents got angry?

• What were the happiest times when you grew up?

• When your Mum and Dad fought, and your dad used physical violence, what was it like for you to witness these incidents?

• How was it when you grew up?

• What was your relationship like with your child/dad?

Generative perspective questions – Focus on present context

• How did your child sleep after the incident happened?

• Do you know what your child (name) was doing when you were throwing the plates at the wall?

• Are you aware of how this impacts on your child?

• How would your child describe you?

• (Child’s name) is really important to you! How do you think s/he’s feeling right now?

• How would you feel as a child watching DV occur between you and your partner?

• What would your 5-year old (age of their child) describe what they see?

• How would your 5-year old (age of their child) describe your action?

• Do you scare yourself or them?

• How does your child react?

• Would your child see you as a good role model?

• If your child could see you at those moments, how would they be feeling? What expression on their face would you see?

• How is that working for you?

• If this incident happened to your mate and his child, what you would think about that?

• How would your child describe you?

• When the incident happened would you tell me what it was like for your child?

• How do you think this affects your child?

• How do you think your child sees you?

• What do you think your child would say about you?

Generative perspective questions – Focus on future context

• What’s the best thing your child would say about you now?

• What type of parent would you like your children to be?

• What can you see yourself doing with your children in 10 years time?

• Increased father involvement in your children’s life when there is low/no conflict has positive impacts on all areas of their development.

• What common interest do you want to develop to build the relationship with your child?

• What sort of relationship would you like to have with your grandchildren?

• What sort of relationship would you like your son to have with his kid’s when he has a family?

• What is one quality you would like your grandchildren to remember about you? What steps would you need to take to make that happen?

• Choose a picture (Set of photolanguage cards) to represent where you would like to be as a parent in 3 months.