Here Are The Real Questions You Should Ask Your Children At The End Of Each School Day

After a long day of school, most children usually walk in the door and sit down in front of the TV or play with their iPad.

Typically, most parents ask the obligatory “How was your day?” question, which is normally met with an uttered “fine”, or “good”.

But instead of being satisfied with a one-word answer, what if you asked the right questions to truly get an insight into your child’s world?

Many children have a lot to say, but won’t reveal what’s really happening in their lives unless they are asked.

There are specific questions you can ask your child which will really get them thinking and empower them to reflect on their day in a meaningful way.

You can start off by asking your child to tell you something interesting they learned at school.

This gives children the chance to reflect on their day, and recall what class exercises they did and what knowledge they retained.

Children love the chance to “show off” what they’ve learned, and this question gives them the chance to do so.

It also gives you an insight to what interests your child. Who knows, you might find out you have a young scientist or future writer in your home.

After starting small, go on to ask your child questions such as “If you had the chance to be the teacher tomorrow, what would you want to teach?” or “If you could change one thing about school what would it be?”

These types of questions challenge your child’s imagination and activate the creative part of their brain.

Instead of focusing only on “what is”, train your child to focus on “what could be”, and get them thinking in a new way.

By challenging your children to think ahead and come up with solutions, you are training them to be future leaders.

It’s also important to ask your child deeper questions, such as what made them joyful, angry, or sad that day.

Many children don’t know how to process what they are feeling. If they are going through a tough time, whether it’s a challenging subject at school or a disagreement with friends, they might not yet have the skills to solve the problem, or perhaps they just need someone to talk to.

Showing your child you care about their emotional well-being, and helping them process and articulate what they are feeling will build trust.

In the future, your child will know they don’t have to hide what’s really going on, because they’ll know you are a safe person who takes their concerns seriously.

Having a conversation with your child after school might not seem like a big deal, but it’s the little things that make a difference.

As your children get older, they will know they can talk to you about anything, because you care.

So next time your child comes home from school, turn off the TV for a few moments, and have a talk.

You just might learn something new.