Trying to connect with your child after a day at school can sometimes feel like getting blood from a stone. However, with the right questions, you can help facilitate a discussion and discover more about your child, their day and how they are getting on at school instead of hearing those dreaded words “fine” and “nothing”.
Next time whether it is on the walk home, in the car, or even at the dinner table, avoid asking “how was your day” and ask some of these conversation starters to get your child talking and find out more about school life, what they like, don’t like and how they are settling in. Here are 35 alternative questions to ask your child in order for them to open up to you some more:
Did you get time to play in the yard today?
Did you sing any songs in class? Did you learn any new ones?
Tell me about your favourite part of the day.
What rules are different at school than and home, and do you think they are fair?
Did any of your school mates do anything funny?
What was your favourite part of your lunch?
If you could change something about your school day, what would it be?
Were you warm enough during yard time?
Did you learn something today that you don’t fully understand?
Rate your day on a scale of 1 - 10.
What are you looking forward to about tomorrow?
Did you ever feel unsafe?
What was the hardest thing about school today?
Did everyone have a friend during yard time?
Was anybody sad in school?
What made you smile?
Did you help anyone today or did you need any help?
What games does everyone play during yard time?
Teach me something I don’t know.
Is there anything you didn’t like in your lunch today?
Did anyone get in trouble today?
Are there any notes in your bag from your teachers?
Did you play any games in school?
Were you creative in class and if so, what did you make?
What questions did you ask today?
Are you reading a book at school? Tell me about it.
If you could swap places with your teacher, what would you teach tomorrow?
What made you feel loved at school?
If you could swap seats with someone in class, who would it be and why?
Who inspired you today?
Did anything make you feel worried?
Did you learn any new words?
Where you bored at any time today?
Who do you think could be nicer in your class?
Did you play any games you enjoyed today and would like to try at home?
Hopefully, these alternative questions to ask your child after a long day in school will have them opening up in no time.