15 Questions To Get Your Kids Talking

Everyday in the car ride home I always ask my boys, “How was your day?”

To my frustration the answer is always, “Good.”

That’s it. All I get.

So, being the genius I am, I created a two-step plan to get my kids talking.

My first plan of attack began this past fall. It was risky, but I grit my teeth and weathered the complaints; I completely cut out any electronics from the table. No TV, phone, tablet, nothing.

Honestly, it’s something I should have done long ago because dinner up to that point, consisted of the boys at the table nose deep in a device. My kids were not happy with this change at all! I’m pretty sure there may have even been some tears. But, it’s made all the difference in the world. Now, dinner is spent completely focused on one another and really engaging in conversation. Part 1 of my plan was a success.

Part 2 of plan was to really get the kids talking. I mean really talking. Beyond the tattling on one another, I wanted real conversation to get to know the little men I’m raising. So, I did what you would do when you are getting to know someone, I asked questions. Now, I have Googled and thought and asked a gazillion questions since I started this, and some have led to some awesome conversation. Some nights dinner is spent just going around the table asking questions. Both are better to the alternative and I promise either way you will learn something.

To help jump start you at your own dinner table, here are a few questions that have led to some awesome conversation with my little men:

Tell me about the best part of your day.

What was the hardest thing you had to do today?

What’s something you did today to show kindness?

Who did you play with today? What did you play?

What’s the biggest difference between this year and last year?

What rules are different at school than at home? Why do you think they are different?

Who do you sit with at lunch?

Tell me 5 words to describe you.

What do you love doing that makes you feel happiest?

What’s the most wonderful thing that’s happened to you?

What was the worst? What did you learn from it?

If you could travel back in time 3 years earlier and visit yourself, what advice would you give?

What are you most grateful for?

Who is your best friend, why?

How would you change the world if you could?

Obviously, you can’t ask the same questions every time. A lot of times we don’t even make it through the list I have, because dinner is over but there have been some nights we stay at the table way past being done; those nights are the best. So, nab these questions or come up with your own but give it a try. Try to keep the questions positive and thought provoking and have fun with it. It’s so much fun to listen to their answers and get a glimpse at the world through their eyes.