You’re probably settling into the back to school haze. Lunches, collared shirts, itchy socks, bedtime stories while the sun’s still shining. A friend recently said, “I feel like my child has a whole world without me now.” It’s certainly a transition back into the swing of school and time apart.
How can you stay connected? How can you get a glimpse into that world that is all their own?
Here are 12 questions to ask your child that get a little farther than “How was your day?” Choose a couple of questions to naturally pepper throughout your time together from pickup to bedtime. You might even sneak a couple in on the weekends to keep the conversation going.
- Who did you show kindness to today?
- Who showed kindness to you?
- What was your favorite new idea you heard today?
- What was an idea you learned that didn’t make sense?
- Who did you eat lunch with?
- What did you talk about during lunch?
- What class rules does your teacher have?
- What did you play at recess?
- Which subject do you most enjoy?
- Which subject seems the hardest?
- What are you most excited about for tomorrow?
- How can I help you be ready for tomorrow?
These questions aren’t a magic solution for getting information out of your child. But if you ask them sincerely and give your child attention and time to answer, you’ll be surprised at how much your child is willing to share. Our kids need us to be the ones caring and asking. Even if it feels like they’re not interested in sharing with you, press in and keep trying. The value this speaks to your kids will be worth the effort.