Let’s Go Beyond “How Was Your Day?”
Your child has been at school all day, you’ve been eagerly awaiting their return home and with all the interest in the world, you ask, “how was your day?” Then, you get the lovely answer: “Good.” You then think to yourself, “Well, that didn’t tell me much.” This happens all the time. After a long day at school, it’s sometimes hard to think about the day and provide an answer on the spot, especially to a broad question. Here are some questions that might help be more specific, creative, and may help aid in the dialogue!
“What did you learn today that I might not already know?”
“What made you laugh or smile today? Did anything funny or silly happen?”
“Who did you sit next to at lunch? What did you talk about?”
“Who had the best lunch/snack?”
“Who did you play with at recess and what did you play?”
“What’s something kind or helpful you did for someone else today?”
I love this question. Sometimes, they may not really know or may have a hard time thinking of an example. This is something that you should practice asking everyday because it will help them take notice throughout their day.
Something that I say everyday when I see my child:
“'I’m so happy to see you! We (if there are multiples) have missed and thought about you all day!”
When your child is picked up or dropped off after school and you can tell they are not in the mood to talk, let them take some time to rest and eat a snack, first. School is a lot to manage for an entire day. It’s okay if they’re tired and feeling burnt out after a long day. It’s also okay and helpful to acknowledge the feeling and offering assistance: “I am so happy to see you. I have missed you today. I can see that you seem pretty tired. I would be tired after a long day at school, too. Is there anything I can do to help?”
