25 Questions to Ask Your Child About Their Day

When our children head out the door and off to school, it’s amazing how much we miss about their day while we are away. If you think about it, your child is away from the home once they start school for more hours than they are home and awake during the week. That means, to keep communication open with our children we have to be creative, and nudge and urge them to keep sharing and talking with us about their lives.

Have you ever picked up your children from school and with enthusiasm asked, “How was your day?” If you have, I’m sure you’ve received a response much like I do. A quick, “It was good.” The end. That’s all folks.

It’s not that our children don’t want to share with us, especially in those elementary school years but even up through their teen years. Kids want to have a connection with their parents. I stop and think sometimes about how I respond when a friend or colleague asks me a similar question: “How are you doing?” How quick am I to just hastily reply, “I’m doing fine.” Without much thought behind the response. I’m sure we could all say a lot more about how we are doing that a quick 3 word reply, but it takes some practice.

Here are some question prompts that can help keep your questions interesting, varied, and help you remind your children to reflect back on their day and share with you a piece of their lives.

25 Questions to Ask Your Child About Their Day

1. What’s the best thing that happened today?
2. Where did you play at recess today?
3. Can you show me what you worked on in class?
4. Did anything make you feel [sad, angry, lonely, upset, frustrated, etc] today?
5. What did you learn about in [insert subject] class today?
6. Did you help anyone at school?
7. How did you feel today?
8. Who do you play with at recess?
9. Did you forget anything today?
10. Do you want to learn more about any of the topics you are studying?
11. Did you try anything new today?
12. Can you teach me something you are learning about?
13. How did the [science project, math test, assembly, field trip, etc] go?
14. Did anything funny happen at school?
15. What’s the worst thing that happened today?
16. Who did you sit by at lunch?
17. Did you make any new friends?
18. What is one thing you would change about your day?
19. Did you learn anything new about yourself?
20. Is there someone you can be a better friend to tomorrow?
21. Was there anything exciting about your day?
22. How were you a good friend today?
23. Is there a school subject you would like help with?
24. Can you show me how your teacher is teaching you?
25. What do you want to do different tomorrow?

When you get started with a question, let it be simply that – a starting point – to spark a full conversation! Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions and encourage complete sentence responses.

Share your question ideas in the comments to build on this question list!