One of the biggest challenges busy families face is finding quality time to connect with one another. With work, school, extracurriculars, screen time, friends, and more all competing for time, parents can be left feeling unconnected as their kids quickly grow into themselves. Many parents worry their kids are growing too quickly and that they're not creating lifelong memories. If that’s how you’ve been feeling, you’re far from alone.
More: The Ultimate List of Would You Rather Questions for Kids
Sometimes when you’re just trying to connect with your child it’s easy for them to shut down, oftentimes hidden behind a screen. But having the right tools and questions to ask can help facilitate conversation.
We’ve created this list of personal and creative questions to help parents get to know their kids better at any age!
Pin it to save these for later or download our free printable: 60+ Get to Know You Questions Printable and get talking! This fun and educational game is sure to spark conversation between you and your kiddo on a long car ride or before bedtime.
Dr. Fran Walfish, Beverly Hills family and relationship psychotherapist, author, The Self-Aware Parent, regular expert child psychologist on The Doctors, CBS TV, and co-star on WE TV weighs in on the importance of talking with children. She says,
“During the early childhood years younger kids are more forthcoming about everything including who played with them and who didn't, what they are thinking and feeling, and their friends/social life. Older kids (7-12) withdraw and go underground to deal with internal conflicts on their own. Younger children (0-6) do the opposite and are more open because their defenses have not yet taken shape and gelled. They are more likely to show you and tell you what they are thinking, wondering, and struggling with.”
“By the time children hit 7-12 years of age, Dr. Fran says, “It takes more work to chip away at what they are thinking and feeling. In other words, don’t ask your child questions that require a yes, no, or one-word answer. Say things like, ‘Tell me about what you did, and who you played with at recess in school today?’ and encourage them to tell you more.”
We love the idea of daily conversation starters that can easily be built into your routine. Whether it’s on the way to after-school activities, at the dinner table, or really anywhere! Conversation starters are a great way to make a slice of quality time to engage with your kids. One open ended question can spark a conversation that isn’t forced or quickly shut down.
Open-ended questions give children time to think and be creative. However, you don’t want to overwhelm them by peppering them with questions non-stop. That’s why we think the idea of a daily conversation starter is so great. Even if you only have small slices of time, you can really make it count by engaging your kids in meaningful ways.
If you want to get your kids talking, these 60+ questions will help them open up.
When it comes to getting your kids to open up and talk, asking open-ended questions can be great conversation starters. Don’t get too caught up on the question since there are no right questions or wrong ones. You just want to engage young children and pull older children out of their one word answers.
Think of your child’s interests, their favorite subjects, TV shows, video games, and formulate some great questions. Make sure to answer the questions yourself to model the give and take of quality conversation. This may quickly become a favorite part of everyone’s day, and you will feel a closer connection to your child while counteracting their desire to withdraw inwards.
You may learn some wonderful things about each other and strengthen your family bond. The best part is this can be a totally unstructured activity, perfect for car rides, waits at the doctors office, or dinner table conversation.
PRO TIP: These are perfect for a long car trip to keep kids distracted and entertained. Download the Get to Know You Questions printable to have these fun child-friendly questions on hand at all times!
“Did you have fun at day care?”
“Yes.”
“Did you learn anything new?”
“Yup.”
“Are you hungry for dinner?”
“No.”
Many parents can probably relate to getting these one-word answers from their children. So how do we get our children to open up and have more meaningful conversations?
Find a New Horizon School Near You
Here is a list of 20 open-ended questions to ask your children in the car, at the dinner table, or anytime you want to get them talking.
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New Horizon Academy is a nationally recognized early learning provider with over 90 schools in Minnesota, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, and Kansas. Through play-based curriculum and high-quality daycare, New Horizon Academy schools nurture and prepare children to succeed in school and in life.
Schedule a tour to learn more about our highly trained teachers, safe and secure facilities, and commitment to providing the highest quality care. Contact a New Horizon Academy childcare center near you today!
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