Category Archives: …Ask Your Gradeschool Kid

Do you want to hear about my day?

If you’re just having no luck getting your kid to answer ANY question (fun, unusual, or otherwise), give this one a shot. Sara Ackerman in the Washington Post writes that when she asked her daughter “Do you want to hear about MY day?”, her little girl was indeed interested in hearing about mom’s meetings and the jammed printer. And after Sara shared about her own day, her daughter, “like she’s taking her turn in a game of Go Fish” opened up about what she’d done that day. The article explains the genius behind this question better than I can. Check it out right here and let us know if this finally gets your gradeschool kid talking! Continue reading Do you want to hear about my day?

 

How were you brave? How were you kind? How did you fail?

So the third question in this series actually already appears in this section of “Questions to ask your gradeschool kid.” But I really love these 3 for how they work as a combo. And I REALLY love the effect they have when asked consistently, every single day. The benefits extend beyond kids and go right up to parents and the family as a whole. For the full scoop, check out this article by Meg Conley titled, “We Ask Our Kids the Same 3 Questions Every Night.” Continue reading How were you brave? How were you kind? How did you fail?

 

What have you failed at recently?

Helping your kids have a healthy perspective on failure is a TREMENDOUS service to their lives at work, with others, and within themselves. In a video interview with Business Insider, Sara Blakely – the CEO of Spanx, shares how her dad at the dinner table would ask her every week how she’d failed at something. The terrible auditions and other “failures” were celebrated and high-fived. If Sara had failed at nothing that week, her dad was actually disappointed. As a result, for Sara the real failure became not trying new things. The other “failures” were recast as wins on the way to valuable lessons. Start redefining failure early for your kids and the resilience that grows will pay off for a lifetime. Continue reading What have you failed at recently?

 

What about being an adult are you most looking forward to? Least looking forward to?

Conversing with grade-school kids as if they’re adults (whenever possible) just seems like a good idea to me. I don’t mean talking with a 10-year-old about escrow. I mean engaging with that 10-year-old in a way that makes it clear that you’re interested in his perspective on the world and care about how he experiences things. This question is a great way to get into a meaningful and potentially enlightening conversation (for both parties). Continue reading What about being an adult are you most looking forward to? Least looking forward to?

 

If you could be in anyone’s group for a group project, whose team would you want to be on? Why?

If your kiddo answers this one with his best friend, feel free to ask again saying, “Okay cool. And how about if you couldn’t be in Mike’s group?” The answers get interesting when, beyond best friends, you start to get a sense of what your kid values in a collaborative exercise. Does he pick someone who is nice and easy to work with? Or the classmate who usually has the right answers? Or someone he wants to get to know better? Does he have different criteria completely? There are tons of good options! So how does he decide? Find out! Continue reading If you could be in anyone’s group for a group project, whose team would you want to be on? Why?

 

If you could skip any assignment this week, what would you skip? Why?

There are plenty of reasons why your kid might want to skip an assignment. The subject is frustrating because it’s confusing. It’s a partner assignment and he doesn’t work well with his partner. Maybe it’s just not that interesting a subject to him. Ask and find out! Continue reading If you could skip any assignment this week, what would you skip? Why?

 

If one of your classmates could be the teacher for the day who would you want it to be? Why?

This question gets a good conversation going about who your kid respects and likes in her class. It can also easily turn into a discussion about her interests as well as how she feels about the real teacher. (One pro tip: Try adding the requirement that your kid can’t pick a best friend as the teacher.) Continue reading If one of your classmates could be the teacher for the day who would you want it to be? Why?

 

Who is the funniest person in your class? Why is he/she so funny?

I had a friend in 4th grade named Adam and he would tuck his knees up into his shirt and walk around class that way cracking everybody up. I still like talking about him! Your kid will probably have more to say in response to this question than she would for “How was your day?” Continue reading Who is the funniest person in your class? Why is he/she so funny?

 

If aliens came to school and beamed up 3 kids, who do you wish they would take? Why?

If you ask your little dude/dudette, “How was school?” you’ll probably get a 1-word answer.  On the other hand, this aliens question is much more likely to get your kid talking and also telling you about the classroom dynamics. Continue reading If aliens came to school and beamed up 3 kids, who do you wish they would take? Why?