As parents, we can’t wait to get a little insight into our child’s day when we pick them up from school, camp, or an after-school activity. If we ask the standard “how was your day” question too many times, our children become numb to it, and we get those one-liner responses, “good,” “fine,” etc., that don’t tell us the info we seek. Here are some questions to ask that can help you get a little more of a conversation going. In our experience, you only get about a five-minute window before they shut down again, so just ask one or two at a time. Of course, you will choose the most age-appropriate questions for your child, and you can customize them to fit your child and your circumstances.
Conversation starter prompts:
- What made you smile today?
- If you could trade seats with anyone in the class, who would it be? And why?
- What is something that challenged you today?
- What has been the favorite part of your day so far?
- Are you having difficulty with anything that I can help with?
- What is the best thing on the playground?
- Yesterday you told me about (a struggle). Was it any better today?
- Other than yourself, who were you most proud of today and why?
- Does everyone have a friend at recess?
- Do you have any goals before the end of the school year?
- What made your teacher smile? What made her frown?
- Tell me something good.
- What made you laugh the hardest today?
- Who did you sit with at lunch? What did they eat?
- If you could change one thing about your day, what would it be?
- Teach me something I don’t know.
- What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
- What are you reading now?
- Did you like your lunch? What did you have?
- What is something that you learned today?
- Got any new facts or info for me?
- What is something you heard that surprised you?
- Where all of your friends in school today?
- Tell me about a kindness you showed someone.
- Was anyone unkind today? How did you react?
- Did anyone get in trouble? What could they have done differently to avoid that?
- Who is the silliest in your class?
- What were your rose and your thorn (or peak and pit) today?
- What is the hardest rule to follow?
- What made you feel most proud of yourself today?
