16 Questions to ask your child instead of “How was your day?”

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Keeping tabs on your child’s emotional quotient can be difficult especially when they don’t share. So instead of letting them cut the conversation short or you feeling like you are nagging them for information, make the conversation fun! You can really get to the heart of the matter (and into your child’s head) by asking some open-ended questions, like the following:

1. If you could sit with anyone in the whole school for lunch who would it be?
2. Was there any point today that you wanted to become invisible? When? Why?
3. If you were the teacher today what would you teach?
4. Who would have the wackiest nickname in class today? What would it be and why?
5. If an alien came and abducted one of your classmates which one would you want them to take?
6. Who brought the best food for lunch today and what did they bring?
7. What is your teacher’s most important/dumbest rule in the class? Why?
8. If one of your classmates could be teacher for a day who would you want it to be? Why?
9. What did you daydream about in school today?
10. Did anyone get called to the principal's office today?
11. What one thing does your teacher help you do for now but would like to try to do all by yourself?
12. Did you help another student in class today? Who and what was it?
13. What was the most difficult thing you did today?
14. What’s the saddest thing that happened today?
15. What’s the happiest thing that happened to you today?
16. Do you think something exciting will happen as school tomorrow?

Don’t stop here. Get creative with your own questions and encourage your child to ask you the questions as well. Remember, the idea is to get your child to feel comfortable talking to you about their day (and emotions) so why not make it fun! 

These questions can work for kids of all ages.

Switch it up and find new questions to ask every day. You don’t want to become predictable! 

BONUS...

To get them to pay better attention to their school surroundings you can also ask questions like:

How many kids wore tennis shoes today?

What color socks did the teacher wear?

Describe your classroom in 5 words.

How many kids were absent today?

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