10 tips to extend the ‘how-was-school’ conversation

Every day, I ask my son how his day at school was. Every day he says “good”.

And that’s the end of that.

Apparently, many of my friends have almost identical conversations with their sons each day.

But sometimes us parents want/need to know more!

I’m not making any promises, but these tips, which originally appeared on the Learning Potential site, may help you and your son get the post-school conversation flowing.

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Talking to your child after a busy day at school can feel a little one-sided with the one-word answers parents sometimes receive.

Here are some questions you can ask to get the conversation flowing:

• Tell me the funniest thing that happened to you today.
• What did you do today that made you proud?
• Who did you play with today?
• What games did you play with your friends?
• What did you learn about that you found interesting?
• What was the best part about today?
• What happened today that you wish you could have changed?
• What did you learn today that you did not know before?
• What was the most boring thing that happened today?
• Why are you looking forward to going to school tomorrow?

The conversations you have with your child do not to always need to be about school. Just talking to your child can help with their language and listening skills. You can discuss what you did that day, the plan for dinner, or even something interesting you heard on the radio.

Sharing family stories and histories helps your child build a sense of connection, culture and belonging.

Learning Potential is an app and website produced by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. For more articles, visit www.learningpotential.gov.au.

Brought to you by Brighton Grammar School