Better Ways to Ask, 'How was your day?'

Every day, parents across the globe ask their children, How was your day?, eager to discover what their child has been up to while at daycare or preschool. Unfortunately, that go-to question, seemingly filled with infinite possible answers, is often met with a conversation-stopping fine or good. But do not fret...there is info in there just waiting to be shared! You just need to tweak your questions—and your timing.

You see, toddlers’ and preschoolers’ brains are still very much a work in progress, so it is often difficult for them to review their whole day in their mind and tease out specific details—and words—to share. Essentially, what seems like a simple question to you is actually kind of overwhelming for a young kiddo. Plus, some kids need to decompress for a bit before they can muster up the energy to chat. After all, they have been 'on' all day...and that can be exhausting! When the time is right, help your child open up with these conversation-starting tips:

Use open-ended questions. When possible, ask questions that cannot be answered in one-word answers.
Share details of your. Lead by example by telling your toddler some details about what you did over the course of your day. You sharing will naturally spark their interest in sharing, too.
Recount your school memories. To ignite a spark of conversation, try saying something about what you enjoyed when you were your child’s age, like, I always loved playing Duck Duck Goose at recess—what is your favourite recess game? My favourite school lunch was pizza. What is yours?
Know your kids’ schedule. When you are familiar with what generally happens during your child’s day, you have a question-asking starting point. For instance: What station did you pick during choice time? Who was your guest reader today? Which classroom job were you assigned?
Be present. When you reunite with your child at the end of the day, concentrate on reconnecting without Try giving a hug; offering to carry your child's backpack; saying I missed you.

With that, here are some more ideas of what you may want to ask after a snack, over dinner, before bed, or whenever your child is giving off relaxed let’s-chat vibes.