How to get your child to talk about their day

With the start of a new school year, your child will be learning new routines, new relationships, and new learning challenges. Adjusting to these changes can take time. Discussing everything with your kiddo helps, but it can be a little overwhelming for them to recall the events of their day while in transition. Here are some tips to try that might help take the pressure off.

Try to spark a conversation and encourage positive communication:

• Share a story about your own day. Kiddos love to hear what you were like at their age. Share a story about something you enjoyed in school or your favorite class. Your kiddo is likely to draw a connection and share something themselves. For example, you can say, “I loved my math teacher. She was really nice and made learning fun! Do you have any really fun teachers?”

• Be present. If you have trouble with distractions, try setting an alarm on your phone. During this time, focus on being present when attempting to discuss your child’s day. This should be a consistent effort and adjust your present time accordingly.

• A routine. For parents with limited time, designate opportunities to connect. If nights work best, this could be done at dinner, after homework, during playtime, or even as part of bedtime. Your child will know this is their time to talk and reflect.

• Draw visual flashcards. You may have a kiddo who is too young to respond. Work together to create simple flashcards to encourage them to share. You can draw pictures of a emotions and objects. Have them choose the feelings or the objects that best describe their day.

• Do not ask too many questions right after school. Children are tired after an intense and longday at school. Give them some time to relax, create, and eat. After a little while, you can spark a conversation with more success.

• Healthy communication. It all starts with you! Demonstrating healthy conversations with other adults sets a great example of how conversations flow. Model good listening skills too—that’s just as important as saying things to prompt a discussion.

Hoping these tips work for you and your family. Incorporate other ideas you might have for creating space to have open, honest conversations about your kiddo's learning and growth.