“How was school today?”
“Fine.”
Sound familiar? When your kids get home from school, it’s normal to wonder how their day went and it is also normal for them to not want to share right away. As parents, we want them to open up about the good and the bad. But kids can feel overwhelmed when they first get home from school. So it’s best to give them some time to breathe before you hammer them with questions about their day.
Questions to ask your kid instead of “how was your day?
When your child seems ready to share, instead of asking, “How was your day?”, try asking one of these more thought-provoking questions instead.
1. What was your most favorite part of the day?
2. Was there any part of today you wish you could have skipped?
3. Did you know I was praying for you today?
4. How were you a helper? Who did you help?
5. Was it easy or hard to focus today?
6. Did you learn anything new, and if so, what?
7. Did anything funny happen today at school? Tell me about it!
8. Was recess fun? Did you play any new games?
9. Did you like what I packed in your lunch today? Did it give you energy or make you feel sleepy?
10. Did you and the other kids listen well and follow directions today?
Note: Don’t ask all of these questions in one day! This could definitely be overwhelming for your child. Pick one or two to ask and then save the rest for other school days.