As mums, we want to know what our kids and thinking and feeling, and so when we ask them a simple question like, “How was your day?” sure, they’ll answer – but we often find ourselves wanting a richer, more detailed response.
A good trick is to reframe the question.
Think about what you want to ask your kids before you say it, and ask yourself these two questions first:
1. Is it so overwhelmingly open-ended that they won’t know where to start?
2. Is it boring and uninspired?
To help inspire you, we have compiled a list of some great questions to ask your child to jog an imaginative, comprehensive response, one that best of all, they’ll enjoy retelling.
1. Did anyone do anything today that made you laugh?
2. Was anyone wearing something you found interesting?
3. Did you do anything cool today that you’re proud of?
4. Did something happen today to make you feel a little angry? Why?
5. What was your favourite part of your day today?
6. And what bit did you not like so much?
7. Is there someone in school you would like to make friends with, but haven’t yet?
8. Tell me one new thing you learned today?
9. Are you a good friend? Why do you think so?
10. What do you think is the toughest things about being a kid?
11. And what’s the best thing about being a kid?
12. If you could be any animal what would you pick? Why?
13. And if your friends were animals what do you think they would be? Why?
15. If you were President for the day what rules would you make?
Why not even jot down their answers afterwards into a journal and keep them as a precious memento?
