How you discuss their day with your child can make a huge difference in their responses.
- Asking your child how their day at school was can result in a very evasive response.
- It is better to ask him about the joys he felt or about his friends.
- Questioning should help identify the child’s interests.
As parents, we all want to know how our child’s day at school went. However, asking the usual question “how was your day?” often gives only short answers like “good” or “not good”. You can do better by asking more specific and engaging questions that encourage them to share their experiences in a deeper and more interesting way.
Exploring your emotions and happy moments
Rather than asking “how was your day?”, try questions that open the door to positive emotions and special moments:
- “What made you smile today? Can you tell me what happened?” It could be something fun, exciting, or nice that happened at school.
- “If you could invent a new feeling, what would you call it? Describe it to me?” This question encourages your child to express creativity and think about emotions.
- “If your head was the weather, what would the weather be like today? Sunny, cloudy, rainy?” This fun question helps your child describe their feelings in a fun way.
Talking about news and friends
To learn more about your child’s new discoveries and friendships, you can ask them questions that encourage them to share more:
- “What new did you learn today? Can you teach me something?” This shows your child that you are interested in their knowledge and learning experiences.
- “Have you heard an interesting story? Tell me?” This question stimulates the imagination and allows them to share stories.
- “What made you proud today?” Encourage him to talk about his successes and what makes him feel good.
Explore friends and personal interests
To learn more about your child’s friends and interests, ask questions that encourage them to further develop their experiences:
- “Who did you play with at recess? What game did you play?” This allows your child to share moments of play and socialization.
- “If you could be a teacher for a day, what subject would you teach?” This question shows your child’s interest in certain subjects.
- “If you could meet anyone, who would you choose? Why?” This helps him think about his idols and dreams.
