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Questions to Ask Your Kids

Good questions don't have to be clever. They just need to show you're interested in your child's inner world — not only grades, behavior, or schedules.

Quick answer

Ask open-ended questions about feelings, highlights, and surprises. Keep it to one or two at a time, and follow what your child says.

Questions to try

“What made you feel proud today?”

“What was the best part of your day that I might not know about?”

“Did anything feel unfair or frustrating?”

“What do you wish I asked you more often?”

“Is there anything from today you want to talk about before tomorrow?”

Age-specific variations

Preschoolers

  • What was your favorite thing today?
  • Did you feel happy, mad, or tired?

Elementary

  • What surprised you today?
  • Who was kind to you today?

Tweens & Teens

  • What's something you're proud of that I might not have noticed?
  • What's been stressing you out?

Moment-specific variations

Dinner

  • Rose, thorn, bud — best part, hardest part, something you're looking forward to.

Bedtime

  • What do you want to dream about tonight?
  • What felt good today?

What to avoid saying

  • "How was school?" when you want more than a one-word answer
  • Rapid-fire questions that feel like an interview
  • Correcting or teaching in the middle of a vulnerable answer
  • Asking when you're distracted or half-listening

How to use these questions

  1. 1Pick one or two questions — not a whole list.
  2. 2Read them before you sit down together.
  3. 3Put your phone away and ask with genuine curiosity.
  4. 4Follow what your child says instead of rushing to the next question.

Make these prompts yours

Save age-aware questions to each child's profile, get follow-ups, and receive prompts before the moments that matter.

Personalize These QuestionsSave This To Your Child's Profile

Frequently asked questions

One or two is plenty. A short, warm conversation beats a long interview.

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