Dear Principal Lisa,
I miss my kids when they are at school and when I pick them up I am so pleased to see them, but whenever I ask them how their day was I get answers like, “ok, nothing, don’t know”. They just seem to zone out, and then just as they are about to go to sleep they might say seething that worries them.
I think the best way to start an afternoon together is to share some food… Food connects us and restores lost energy. Get in the car and having a snack together, take along your own sandwich. Pick up Picnic!
Try not to quiz your child on their day- connect first and maybe tell them about your day first.
Try a few questions that are open like, who was the funniest today? What things made you giggle? Who did you enjoy playing with today?
Open ended questions may still be met with “don’t know” or shrugs. Remember they are tired. Don’t take it personally. School is exhausting,
Some conversation openers:
What did you like most?
Who did you enjoy playing with today?
What made you laugh or smile today?
If you could time travel back through the day, what would you do differently
What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
What rules would you make if you were the teacher or the principal? Its ok if it’s something like ban maths- run with it- explore it and say with empathy I bet, do you wish you could go to school and just play all day- I understand that would be fun.
Remember be light hearted
I like to play silly quizzes with children after school that kind of feel a bit cheeky like:
Who was the silliest in school? Who ran the fastest? Who didn’t listen to the teacher?
Children can’t resist telling a few tales… Its human nature.
With love as always
Your Back to School Bestie
Lisa