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Integrated Research in Public Health: Epidemiologyand Qualitative Methods
Unit 2: Research Interview full transcript - Student Copy
Research Interview between Jenny and Steve on ‘The Experience and Attitudes ofParents Towards Their Children Eating Habits’
This is an almost c omp lete cop y of a f i rst draft transcr ipt ion which you n eed to
check against the actual “Research Interview’ aud io recordin g. There are a fewgaps and errors s o please do com plete the gaps/correct any errors in th e
transcr ipt ion as y ou l is ten in readiness for th e col laborat ion in Uni t 2.
MAN: This is an interview with Jenny Day at the University of Liverpool. The date is the14th of March, 2013. Jenny, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed for my research.Like I said when I sent you all the information about it, what I'm interested in is theexperiences and attitudes of parents towards their children's eating habits and attitudestowards food, really. So, I wondered if you could just start off by telling me a little aboutyour family, maybe describing your family setup and the children that you have.
WOMAN: Yeah, I live with my partner and my son and my daughter. My son is 14, sohe's ……?.. My daughter is 10.
MAN: Mm-hmm. And if we could just sort of start thinking about mealtimes in yourhousehold, could you sort of talk me through a typical breakfast, let's say?
WOMAN: [Chuckles] Yeah. It's funny, really. Breakfast is a funny thing becauseeveryone has something different, and it's all tailored to individual needs. So, I don'tactually eat my breakfast until I get to work 'cause I found it really stressful in themorning trying to eat and try and do everything, get everybody ready for school. Mydaughter tends to have pancakes, and sometimes she'll have, like, fruit and yogurt orsomething like that. My son ……………………?..in the morning.
It's a funny thing, really, ………?.., "Oh, breakfast is the most important meal of the day"and everything. But actually, myself and my dad always felt, like, slightly sick in themorning, and I never ate breakfast as a teenager, either. And I think my son is thesame. And I really worried about it for a while, but after a while I thought, "Well, whenhe gets into school, they've got, like, breakfast and ………?..can have.” So if he washungry, he could have something then. And he just didn't want it. And actually he saidit was making him -- Forcing him to eat something in the morning was like making himfeel sick on the bus on the way into school. So I kind of gave up that battle, really. So,
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often he won't have anything. Or if he does have something, he'll have, like, a …?..bread with some jam (?) in or something like that.
So, and I have porridge when I get to work. And my partner has, like -- he does his ownMueslix, and he has that with yogurt. But he has that later on. He waits till all the chaosof the kids and everything go, and then he gets up then, has his own breakfast in peace,you know.
MAN: So, you're responsible for getting the kids' breakfast and sorting them out to go toschool?
WOMAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MAN: The way that you described it with your son in particular there, it seems that
there's a kind of interesting kind of emotional feelings in there and even conflict. Imean, is that how you might describe it? You talked about that this situation haschanged. Can you tell me about how it's changed?
WOMAN: Yeah, yeah. Well, when he was younger, he always had breakfast. He'd behungry when he woke up in the morning. But as he's gotten to teenage years, I don't………….?.or what, but something's different. And at first I was saying, "Oh, he musteat.” 'Cause you read all the research, and it's all "You can't concentrate in school --blah, blah, blah -- if you don't eat.” But for our family, I'm not sure if that's accuratebecause I never found it a problem when I was at school, not eating in the morning.
And he doesn't, and he does really, really well at school. So, I don't think the evidence
is always applicable to an individual's circumstances.
So, yeah, I think there's -- Yeah, conflict is a big thing, and I think for -- particularly fortoday's parents, there's an immense pressure on parents to get it right, give yourchildren healthy food, and all this kind of thing. And if you for some reason don't fit inwith that, you feel like in some ways you're a bad parent. There's ……?..element to it.But I do feel that actually I am doing the right thing by letting him choose. So, somedays he says -- I ask him every day. Some days he says, "Yeah, I'll have sunnykin (?)”
And some days he doesn't. And it seems to work out for us, you know?
MAN: But when he first started turning down breakfast, how did you feel about that?
WOMAN: Oh, that was terrible, yeah, because you think, "Blimey, he's not eatinganything" and all those kind of things. And then you do worry about it. You think, "Areyou doing the right thing by your child and everything?” But then, when I thought aboutit, I started thinking about myself when I was a teenager and realised that in our family itwas quite a normal pattern. My dad used to go and do full half-day away with nobreakfast. It was just a thing in our family, I think.
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MAN: And how did he respond to your concerns on that point?
WOMAN: He, you know, "Oh, you're …………… ?me" and everything, and it wasn't
good. And to be honest with you, I think nagging's a really negative thing, and I think ifyou keep nagging people all the time, they turn off in the end and don't listen to you.So, I do try to have, like -- Rather than nagging him out, I try and have a properconversation with him about things and come to a compromise about things. Doesn'talways work out, but I'd sooner do it like that than just constantly ….arguing (? nagging).
MAN: Yeah. Yeah. And what about the situation with your daughter, then, also atbreakfast times?
WOMAN: Well, breakfast time, she just has her pancakes, and that's it. She has fourpancakes. She has to have them buttered the other way around because my ex-partner
used to butter them the wrong way around. And now she's, like, a bit obsessive, and ifyou don't do it a particular way, then she doesn't like it. So, sometimes when mypartner makes pancakes, he puts too much butter on them, she won't eat them, andthings like that.
So, I think that's another thing about today that's different from when we were little is thechildren are really, really fussy, and we pander to that fussiness. So, they've got tohave a certain colour plate or a certain colour cup or something like that, and we panderto a lot. Whereas when we were little, it was like, "Eat this and………?.” It's verydifferent. And I don't think that's good for people's diets, to be honest with you.
My children are, like, total, total, opposites. So, my daughter will eat fruit and veg allday long. That's all she wants. She'll go around the shop. She'll beg you for fruits andeverything. And my son you have to really coerce into our fruit and vegetables, andthere's only certain ones that he likes. So, he likes parsnip, sweet corn, carrots, andthat's about it. My daughter just loves all fruit and vegetables. And he'll only eatbananas, as well. And to be honest with you, I blame Annabel Karmel --
MAN: Who? Who's Annabel Karmel?
WOMAN: Annabel Karmel was this woman who wrote these books about how to feedyour baby and toddler. And it was all healthy foods and everything, but it was quite
exotic fruits. So, it was like papaya and things like that. So, my son was subjected tothe full Annabel Karmel because he was the first child and everything, and you thinkyou're doing the right thing. But when I have my daughter, I thought to myself -- And henow will only eat bananas. So we have this massive repertoire of all these exotic fruitsand everything, and he'll only eat bananas, whereas my daughter -- I thought to myself,"Well, what do we usually eat?” We usually have apples, bananas, oranges,strawberries -- just sort of …………..? fruit. And I thought, "Well, I want her to carry on
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eating those.” And that's what I did with my daughter, and she eats loads and loads offruit all the time now, and she will try more exotic things.
So, I think in a way it was almost like I was trying too hard with my son, and maybe ithas kind of backfired a bit. Or maybe they're just totally different children. But it isinteresting that they have got a really different approach to it. And, say, for mydaughter, you never worry about 5 a day with her because she's had about 10 a day.Whereas with my son, you really think, "You know, I've got to try and get…………….?down him to encourage the healthy.”
MAN: So, a typical sort of evening meal -- 'cause, I mean, the kids and you are out allday, going to school and work and stuff. What's a typical evening meal like?
WOMAN: Again, there's a bit of pandering goes on here, and there's an issue because
my partner's vegetarian, and me and the kids are not vegetarian. And he doesn't gethome from work till about a quarter past seven, half seven, and that's too late for mykids, because if they get hypoglycemic, they just kill each other and kill me. So, theyhave to have really regular meals. I mean, they have to eat about 5:00, really. So, Icook for them, and I tend to give them a choice. So, I might do something like chickenand rice and sweet corn -- something like that. But during the week, it's really, reallybusy, and they have loads of clubs and activities and everything, so it is more likeconvenience foods. So they might have potato waffles, and they'd have fish fingers andthings like that. But I do try to give them fresh food, but some of it's convenience food,as well, just because there's no other way to manage it, really.
MAN: So, how often do you eat together as a family?
WOMAN: On the weekend, we do. So, you know, I can roast dinner, and I'll do loads ofvegetables for that.
MAN: And what does your partner do with the roast?
WOMAN: Well, he has one of them horrible, like, veggie... [ Laughs ] Like avegetable...thing. And then he'll have all the veggies on top of that. He's not really,really fussy. But sometimes he'll make me a nut roast, which is really nice with aspecial sauce. Highly recommend it. From Delia Smith.
MAN: And how do the kids take to the vegetarian options, then?
WOMAN: I always try to encourage them to eat other things, but they're not great atthat, and I think there is this pandering thing. Definitely doesn't really help because itmakes them more fussy. But if we're on holiday and things like that, I do get them to trythings. And Joe's funny because he won't eat things, and he seems really fussy, but hewill eat -- Like, he really likes mussels, and he loves king prawns and stuff like that. So,
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things that are really, you know... f rom being ……………?.try things like that. So, he willtry exotic things, but just not exotic vegetables, I want you to know.
MAN: So, you said, though, that he's quite fussy.
WOMAN: Yeah. Yeah.
MAN: How do you -- I mean, you talked about pandering. Are there other ways that youdeal with his fussiness?
WOMAN: I encourage him to eat other foods, and sometimes when we're on holiday, I'llactually say to him, "I'll give you some money if you try this.” [ Laughter ] I've actuallybribed him, totally bribed him to do it because that really motivates him to do things andit does work. So, it's really terrible, I suppose, when you think about it, but I want him to
have a varied taste. But then again, when I was little, we were, like, meat and usuallyone veg, which was potatoes, which is not even vegetables, is it? But then I grew up tobe -- to really try loads of different things. I'd try anything as I grew up. So, I don't thinkall hope is lost with them, and I think I've just got to keep giving them that message, youknow.
MAN: So, you're very focused on this healthy eating.
WOMAN: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, yeah. And I do try and make them aware of how yourdiet is related to your general health and well-being. My son's really ……?, so I try tosort of bring that into it, as well, and say, "You do better at sports if you eat healthy and
everything.” And also, I do say to them there's long-term consequences if you have apoor diet.
And sometimes when we're having an argument about food or whatever -- We don'thave a lot of arguments. If I'm trying to encourage them, I will say, "Think what it's likefor me as a parent. I want you to have really healthy food, and you want to haveunhealthy food. Can you see that that's a problem?” Actually, I think that really helpsthem think about what's going on and save it being ……………?…about it just for thesake of it. I try to explain why I want them to eat healthy food.
MAN: So, it's interesting what you said, that you talked about, that you do have
arguments around food.
WOMAN: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. With my son, not with my daughter.
MAN: Just with your son, yeah. Then you've got this dichotomy of healthy andunhealthy foods. They want to have their unhealthy --
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MAN: So, can you remember a time when you've argued specifically about food?
WOMAN: Let me think. Sometimes I'll remark on something because I think my son --Now and again, we have chocolate croissants for our breakfast. And the other day myson had a chocolate croissant, and then he had a ……………………? for his breakfast.So, I kind of say "That's healthy" in a sarcastic way or something like that.
And I do -- The other thing I think is really interesting about all this is the thing aboutsweets and all those kind of things -- fizzy drinks and everything. And I've always beenof the opinion that if you say, "You can never have fizzy drinks or sweets," that whenthey get older -- 'Cause one day -- They're our children. We've got all this control overthem. But when they grow up and when they start at senior school, they've got a bit ofmoney, they can ………………….? way home. And I think if you've always stopped
them from having something, they're desperate to have it. So, I always would -- Say itwas a party or something like that or now and again if we had people around orwhatever, that they could have fizzy drinks or sweets or whatever now and again.
But I know some of the parents in school, like, it would be a kid's birthday, and they'dbring in chocolates or something and give one -- or a lollypop or something like that,and they'd give one to everyone in the class. And I can remember one of the mothersused to take that sweet off the child and say, "You can swap that for something healthywhen you get home.” And those children came to -- They were lovely children. I cantotally understand why the mother did that. When they came to our house, one time wehad a chocolate fondue, so we had loads and loads of fruit, but like a chocolate fondue.
And these children who weren't allowed sweets just were completely covered inchocolate because they were desperate for it. They were just …………….? faces.
So, I've always been of the opinion that if you totally ban something, you make themwant it more. That's just what I think myself. So, I have allowed them to have that. Butmy son definitely, I think, goes and buys loads of sweets all the time now that he's oldenough to do that. So, I'm constantly telling him to brush his teeth and to not do thatand talk to him about it, but he's kind of like, "Whatever.” It's kind of like a teenagerthing. But what I hope is that he is listening to it and it will get through in the end, but it'svery difficult.
MAN: Yeah, yeah, it is quite difficult, isn't it? You can't really tell, can you?
WOMAN: No. My ex-partner was banned to have sweets all his life. The only sweetshe could have was liquorice because it was a laxative. So, that was all he was allowed.
And when he grew up, he had this terrible sweet tooth, and he just used to stuff himselfwith cakes and sweets all the time, and now he's really overweight. So, I think you canget a ……………………….? about it. So, that was kind of my take on all that, but I think
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my son's diet could be healthier, and I do feel bad about that, but I try my best, youknow.
MAN: So, what about things like eating out? If they're eating or you're all eating outsidethe house, what kind of places would you go to? What kind of places would they like togo to?
WOMAN: Yeah. Well, they love -- My son's favourite is Papa John's Pizzas. He'sobsessed with it. I mean, he has ham and pineapple, so at least he's getting somepineapple. [ Laughter ] And we have that occasionally. We did eat out on Sunday. Wewent out for Mother's Day with my sister and that. And they had like a a roast dinner,and there was carrots and parsnips with it. But there……….., so my daughter ateeverything with all the greens, and my son ate the parsnip and the carrot but not thegreens. He won't eat anything green. And they will try -- We go for Indian now and
again, things like that. They like Chinese and stuff.
MAN: I think that's all the questions I've got for now. I'm sure I'll come back to you at alater day, but thanks very much. Is there anything you wanted to ask?
