Let’s Level Up How We Talk About Our Day

Often, the older our children get the less information we receive in response to the question of “How was school today?”. Our attempt at getting a sense of how our child’s day has unfolded can be met with a shrug or a one word answer, leaving us to wonder what happens during this substantial part of our child’s life that we may not typically have much of a window into. 

It can feel awkward to continue probing when we’re getting a limited response in return. However, the benefits that come from initiating school-related conversations with our children on a regular basis include: getting a better sense of their experiences (positive and negative), spotting emerging problems (academic and/or social), and communicating that we’re interested in their thoughts and feelings and that we’re always available to talk. 

We can practice engaging our children in these school-related chats at any age; the earlier we begin, the more time we have to build these connections into our family’s daily routine. According to the Family Dinner Project, a well-worded question can be one of the quickest ways to reconnect after a long day. 

Try offering these questions, and sharing responses from your own experience, as a way to level up evening discussions when your family regroups together after your busy days:

• What did you like most about school today?

• Which class was the most interesting?

• What was the hardest thing you did?

• Who did you sit next to/play with?

• What made you laugh/smile?

• What feedback did you get today?

• What was the best part of your day?