Communication is the basis of any good relationship. Even so, it is sometimes difficult for parents to get more than one monosyllabic answer from their children. “How was your day?” Is probably the most frequently asked question from parents, but especially with small children it can quickly lead to excessive demands and parents often only get a “good” or “okay” answer. Children need time to process the day’s experiences, which is why they shouldn’t be ambushed at the door or in the car with a question about the day.
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In order to get some information out of your offspring anyway – because as a parent you naturally want to know what the child has been up to all day – you can ask more specific questions. Be careful, however, not to anticipate the answers, because the questions for details should stimulate thought and formulation of his own thoughts, even if it may take a little longer.
These 20 questions are nice alternatives to “How was your day?”:
1. Who did you sit next to for breakfast / lunch today?
2. What did you enjoy most today?
3. What are you most proud of today?
4. What was the funniest thing that happened today?
5. Did someone do something nice for you today?
6. Where is the coolest / best place in kindergarten / school?
7. Did someone help you today?
8. Who is the funniest person in your kindergarten / class?
9. Did you experience anything today that made you think?
10. Which book did you look at today in kindergarten / did you read in school?
11. Did you catch someone else booing today?
12. Did anyone scold you today?
13. What was particularly difficult today and what challenged you?
14. Has anyone been absent from kindergarten / school?
15. Did someone annoy you today? How did that happen? Tell me!
16. Did you say something nice to someone today?
17. What was the best thing today?
18. Did you hear something today that surprised you?
19. What do you wish for tomorrow?
20. Did you learn something today that you didn’t understand right away?
Some of the questions may sound a bit mundane at first, but they are a good way to learn more about your child and show them that you really care about them. Talking about what happened to you at work can also help draw children out of their reserves. Talking about the day shouldn’t be a one-way street.
Here you will find further tips and suggestions about parenting:
Sources: bidiliswelt, wienerin
Thumbnails: © Flickr / Leonid Mamchenkov © Flickr / Harmony