Questions to ask kids and teenagers

Is there anything you have been worrying about?

Ask while everyone is still seated and eating rather than while clearing plates, so the answer does not have to be quick. Younger kids will name something concrete like a fire drill, and the worry underneath is usually about safety or being left behind.

From: Questions to Ask Kids at Dinner

What are you reading or watching at the moment?

You are finding out what they choose when nobody assigns it. A child who names something well below their reading level is usually rereading for comfort, which is fine and not a sign of trouble.

From: Questions to Ask 7 Year Olds

What's the worst dinner anyone could possibly serve you?

Inventing the worst meal is more fun than naming a real dislike, and six year olds build combinations they find genuinely revolting, which is a category adults have lost access to.

From: Funny Questions to Ask a 6 Year-Old

What do you want more of from me?

Ask it plainly and then be quiet. The answers are usually concrete and manageable, more lifts, fewer questions in front of other people, being trusted about one specific thing. Asking and then not acting is worse than not asking.

From: Questions to Ask a Teenager About Life

If you were the teacher for a day, what would you change?

A friendlier route into the same territory as the fairness question, and it gets past loyalty to a teacher they like. Small practical answers, more time outside, less copying from the board, someone moved away from someone else, are often accurate descriptions of what is not working.

From: Questions to Ask Your 8 Year Old

What was the best part of your day?

Better than asking how the day was, because it asks for one thing rather than a summary. Ask about the worst part straight afterwards; children answer that one more readily and in more detail.

From: Questions to Ask 10 Year Olds