Asking your kids about their day at school is usually met with a one-word answer or a grunt. You might be tempted to get angry with their nonchalant response but remember that if you are usually not around during the day and all of a sudden want to know every minute detail, they won’t be very forthcoming. The best way to help them open up is by making conversation time fun and interesting. How can you do that? By trying some of these tips!

Avoid Conversation Stoppers

Don’t ask questions that can be answered with a yes or no or a shrug. This is an easy trap to fall into because we often have such good intentions, but it can quickly turn your child off from talking at all. For example, ask them how their day was and they simply shrug their shoulders and say “fine” before walking away, then you might feel frustrated by this response and want to tell them how rude they are for not being more forthcoming about things. But the truth is that most kids don’t know how to express themselves well verbally; even if they do have something interesting happen during their day (e.g., “I saw a dog that had two tails!”) they might not know how to express it in words easily or properly without stumbling and stammering through the conversation because it feels so unnatural for them! So instead of asking yes-or-no questions like “Did you have fun?” try using open-ended ones like “Tell me about your day today… what did you do first? What happened next? Did anything special happen along the way? Have any interesting stories? Is there any way I could help out tomorrow morning before school starts up again?

Help kids solve problems for themselves

If you want to get your kids talking about their day, then the first thing you need to do is teach them how to ask for help. Kids don’t always know what they need or when they need it, so it’s up to us as parents and caregivers (or anyone else who cares) to use a problem-solving approach with them.

Use this approach by asking questions like: “What are some things that could be wrong? How could we solve this problem?” Then give your child several options of solutions. Some examples include using the resources around you (like asking an adult), asking someone else for help (like another kid), trying different strategies until one works, and so on.”

Schedule a conversation time

• Decide on a time to talk. It doesn’t have to be daily, but it should happen at least once a week—at the end of the day is a good option because your kids will be relaxed and ready to unwind.
• Set up an environment that encourages conversation. This can mean anything from turning off the TV or music, to setting up some toys in another room so your child has something else to focus on while you talk (and so they won’t feel like they have no choice but to listen).
• Don’t interrupt each other or allow yourself or your child’s mind wander too much during this conversation time—you want both parties present and engaged in what’s being said! If one of you gets sidetracked by something else during this discussion period, don’t let that deter either party from continuing with their original topic at hand as planned; simply resume talking where everyone left off once everyone has returned their focus towards each other again!
• Make sure that neither parent nor child feels pressured into having these discussions—it should always remain fun for both parties involved! Past experiences show us that there’s nothing worse than feeling forced into something one doesn’t want done out of guilt or obligation…so try not making anything like this happen between yourself/your family members either way 🙂

Take turns telling your highs and lows of the day.

It’s important to take turns talking about your day, but it can be hard to remember how to listen. When you’re talking about various events in your day and your kid is interjecting with his own story, it can be easy for you to start nodding along without actually hearing what he’s saying.

Take note of the following:

• Don’t interrupt them when they starts telling their story.
• Nod along and make eye contact so that they knows that you hear them.
• Ask questions about what happened in their day (like “Did anything exciting happen at school today?”) or ask them how something made them feel (like “How did walking home from school feel? Was it scary? Did you like being with all those other kids?). This shows that you’re paying attention and interested in learning more about what was going on in their life during the course of the day—just like having a conversation with an adult friend!

Remind your kids that you are always ready to listen without judgement or criticism

Remind your children that you are always ready to listen without judgement or criticism. Don’t interrupt or judge, but do ask questions if they seem lost in thought.

If you have an opportunity to chat with your child after school, be sure to let him or her know that it’s okay if they don’t have much to say—the most important thing is that they feel comfortable talking with you about what’s going on in their lives!

Don’t be the parent who judges, reprimands or lectures during conversations with your kids.

When you ask your child about their day, don’t expect that your kid will provide a long and detailed answer. In fact, you might be surprised by how short the answers are. Don’t worry about it! It’s normal for kids (and adults) to be brief when discussing their day.

While you may want to know every detail of what happened at school or in extracurricular activities, try not to ask too many questions at once. Your child might need some time before they can remember all of their experiences from that day or week—or maybe they don’t want to talk about it at all! If you feel like something is missing from your conversation with them, wait until next time before asking again; but if they still seem uninterested after several attempts at conversation-starting questions, then let it go and move on to another topic of discussion.

If you have a teen who’s entering their high school years, it can be difficult to get them talking. There are many factors at play during these years, and they’re not always the easiest to understand. If this sounds like your situation, don’t give up hope! As we discussed earlier, there are some ways you can improve communication with your child without forcing it on them. Try following these tips for connecting with your kids in a more casual way—by spending quality time together and sharing little bits of information about yourself—and hopefully things will start opening up for you. Good luck!