Wellbeing and Engagement

Assuming a positive experience - Talking about your day!

It is not always easy to get information from your child about how their school day was. A typical after-school conversation might go a little something like this:

“How was your day?” - “Good.” - “What did you do?” - “Nothing”

“Did you have a good day?” - “Yes” - “Has was play time?” - “Good”

You continue on with your afternoon or evening with no further information than that, feeling frustrated or disappointed that your child doesn’t want to talk to you about school at all.

If you are tired of repeating this process each day with no change, it might be time to start thinking about some other questions to ask instead. Leading with a question that requires more than a simple yes or no is a great way to open a conversation and get your child talking about their day.

Try one or more of these 10 questions tomorrow and see how your child reacts:

What was the best thing you did today?
What was something different that happened today?
What made you laugh?
What was something enjoyable you did today at break time?
What are you looking forward to about tomorrow?
What did you learn about in music/PE/library?
What’s something your teacher said to you today that made you think?
If you could change one thing that happened today, what would it be?
What part of your day went the slowest? Why?
What games did you play at lunchtime?

Of course, if your child does not want to talk about school, you should respect that too. Some children need a little space and time to relax after school before they are ready to talk about it and by giving them a little space, they might be more willing to open up later.

It is also important for you as a parent to have a clear purpose in mind when you are asking questions. Is it because you are genuinely interested in what has motivated your child during the day, to find out what good things have occurred or are you focused on looking for the tribulations of the day?

By asking meaningful questions and really listening to the answers, you can get to know a lot about your child and how they are doing at school. It also creates a great connection between you, showing your child that you care about their wellbeing and are taking time to hear about how their day has gone. Assume a positive day has occurred and look for the silver lining in every day.

Lysterfield students said:

What was the best thing that has happened to you today?

“Getting to play with my friends”

“Library”

“I really like circles and being with other people”

“PE and music are the best”

Up and Coming Parent Professional Learning

ParentZone Eastern are offering Parenting Anxious Children and Dads Matter parenting programs this term. Both groups are free to attend for parents living in Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs. The flyers are attached so please share with parents at your school or with relevant staff members.

Details of the groups are as follows:

Parenting Anxious Children

Dates: Tuesday 1st August to 5th September 2023 (6 daytime sessions)

Time: 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Where: Online via Zoom.

Registration: Click here (this registration link will close when the group is fully booked)

Dads Matter

Dates: Monday 31 July - 4 September 2023 (6 evening sessions)

Time: 7.00pm to 9.00pm

Where: Online via Zoom

Registration: Click here (this registration link will close when the group is fully booked)

Additional Services/Support

PSYCHOLOGY ASSESSMENT SERVICES AVAILABLE

• Intellectual Assessments • Educational Assessments • ADHD Assessments • ASD Assessments

For all appointments or enquiries Please phone : 0427 804 649 or Email: administration@connectingkids.com.au