How to Encourage Your Kids to Talk About School

If you’re a parent, you’re probably aware that getting your kids to talk about school is quite the challenge. Most of the time when you ask them about their day, they have simple one or two word answers. Not to worry, a prep school in Hertfordshire have prepared the following advice for parents who want to encourage their children to really open up about school. 

As soon as your child enters an academic environment, even if they are nursery aged, it’s wise to start asking them open questions about their experiences. That means asking them questions that require detailed answers, such as what projects they’re working on and who their classmates are, rather than yes or no questions like “Did you have a nice day?” If you’re unsure what to ask them about, be sure to read the school’s newsletter or blog and find out what’s been going on at the school. You could also ask the teachers for an outline of the curriculum so that you develop a better understanding of what they’re learning about so that you can then ask plenty of questions.

Don’t just ask your child about school once they get home; the mornings are also a great opportunity to check in. See if you can find out what they have coming up in the school day and how they feel about those particular lessons.

Another great way to encourage your child to open up more where school is concerned is to discuss their goals with them and figure out what they want to achieve. These could be small scale goals, like speaking up in class more often or getting full marks on a spelling test, or they could be bigger goals like becoming a doctor. Once they have established goals, you can then ask them questions about whether or not they are accomplishing them and what they plan to do differently in order to do so.