10 March 2023
Dear Parents,
I remember when my children were younger I would look forward to fetching them from school and could not wait to hear about their day. As a teacher I knew that their day was filled with fun, adventure, learning and more yet I would receive the same 2 answers each time, “nothing” or “fine”.
Ever hopeful for a little more than the usual 2 mundane replies I introduced “Question of the Day” with my children as a way to positively interact with them and deconstruct an important part of their day.
Now the first rule of Question of the Day is not to ask the question the minute they get into the car but rather leave the conversation for a later time when they have had time to unwind ( just like we do when we get home from work). When they are feeling relaxed, they can think about the question and their day, and engage in a proper conversation with you. Perhaps around the dinner table or during bath time, or while you are taking a walk before dinner is a suitable time to do this.
Secondly “Question of the Day” needs to be a fairly directed question that focuses on something specific, which in turn could lead to a conversation about other things. In this way, we are building daily habits of connecting with our children which is one of the most powerful ways we can keep a strong bond with them.
Thirdly, let your children ask you questions too. This way they don’t feel that they are being questioned about things all the time and they look forward to hearing your answers. Also, encourage them to think of their own questions and not just use the ones that you have asked them.
A few ideas for Question of the Day:
Who made you smile today? What are you thankful for today? Did you try something new today? What is the funniest thing that happened today?
Who was kind to you today? Whatmadeyoulaugh? Whatwasthehardestthingyouhadtodotoday?
Did you show kindness or help anyone today?
What was your favourite thing you did today? .Would you change anything about your day, if so, what?
You can either put all the questions in a jar and let your child pick one and then that’s the question they answer, or you can decide which one to ask each day.
Research has shown that we need to engage in 5 positive interactions to each negative experience. Through engaging with our children on a daily basis we provide opportunities for them to reflect on their day and also help them to problem solve situations that they feel overwhelmed by.
I hope that you enjoy connecting with your children as much as I did with mine. “Question of the day” became a family ritual in our home that our children really looked forward to.
Warmest regards,
Lara
