Better Questions to Ask Your Kids Than "How Was Your Day?"

How often do we sit down at the dinner table, ask our kids "how was your day?", and hear "good" as a response? We have been away from our kids all day, and we would love to hear about everything they did that day, but how do we ask questions that warrant more than a one word response?

Step 1: Ask the right questions. Asking your child specific questions will get you specific answers.

Step 2: Keep the conversation flowing with follow-up comments and questions.

Here is a list of 20 questions you can ask instead of asking "how was your day?" and some ideas for follow-up questions.

1. What was the best part of your day?

2. What was the funniest thing you saw today?

3. What books did you read today?

4. What games did you play at recess?

5. Which kid in your class needed to be cheered up today?

6. What made you feel happy today?

7. What do you wish your teacher would have done differently today?

8. What do you wish you could have done at school today?

9. Who made you smile today?

10. What did you eat for lunch?

11. Did you give any compliments today?

12. What surprised you today?

13. Did you help a friend today? What happened?

14. What was the hardest part of your day? How did you deal with that?

15. What is something your teacher said today?

16. Did anyone in your class have a tough day? What happened?

17. How did you get to be a helper today?

18. Did you show kindness to someone today?

19. If you wrote a book about your day at school today, what would the title be?

20. If you were the teacher tomorrow, what would you do with your class?

Follow-Up Comments and Questions to Keep Your Conversation Flowing

1. Seriously? How did you respond to that?

2. Tell me more about that. What happened next?

3. Now way! What did you do?

4. How did that make you feel?

5. What would have made that situation better?

References:

Association for Comprehensive Neurotherapy

Family Fest

Psychology Today