This year, my kiddo is a freshman, and I find myself asking him every day after school or at the dinner table, “So how was school today?”
And every day I get an answer like “fine” or “ehh,” which doesn’t tell me a whole lot.
AND I WANT TO KNOW A WHOLE LOT MORE!!!!
Or at least get a full sentence. So I came up with a list of more engaging questions to ask about school. They aren’t perfect, and I often get the obligatory teen eye roll, but I do at least occasionally get complete sentences, and some can lead to some interesting conversations... and hilarious answers... and some insights into how my kiddo thinks and feel about school.
1.What made you smile today?
2.
If you could be invisible for the day at school, what would you do?
3.
What part of the day do you look forward to? What part of the day do you dread?
4.
If they played music in the halls at school, what would everyone want them to play over the loudspeaker?
5.
If today had a theme song, what would it be?
6.
If your day at school today was a movie, what movie would it be?
7.
What do you think the most important part of school is?
8.
If an alien spaceship landed at your school, who would you like them to beam aboard and take back to their home planet?
9.
Tell me one question that you had today, even if it wasn’t answered... actually, especially if it wasn’t answered...
10.
Which classmate is most likely to be arrested, made president, become a millionaire, be in movies, let loose a flock of wild chickens in the library, etc.?
11.What was the best thing that happened today?
12.Did you help anyone today?
13.Did you tell anyone “thank you?”
14.Who did you sit with at lunch?
15.What made you laugh?
16.Did you learn something you didn’t understand?
17.Who inspired you today?
18.What was the peak and the pit?
19.What was your least favorite part of the day?
20.
If you had to go to only one class every day, which class would it be?
We are interested in hearing questions you use at home to get your teens talking, if you have a great one send it to us (
upriverylc@gmail.com
) and we will share with everyone here in the months to come.
