Family Wellbeing

BUILDING CONNECTION ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME

One of the questions many parents ask at the end of the school day is, "How was your day?" Only to be met with the familiar response...

"Fine."

"Good."

"I don't know."

While these answers can be frustrating, they're incredibly common. Children often need a little more support to reflect on their day and put their thoughts and feelings into words.

Parenting educator and Connected Parenting founder Genevieve (Gen) Muir recommends a simple family connection ritual called High, Low, Buffalo. While the idea of reflecting on the day has been around for centuries, Gen has helped popularise this fun, practical version for modern families as an easy way to encourage meaningful conversations at home.

How does it work?

Take turns sharing three things from your day:

⭐High – The best part of your day.

💙 Low – Something that was challenging or disappointing.

🦬 Buffalo – Something unexpected, funny, random or interesting that happened.

The beauty of this activity is that everyone joins in - children and adults alike. There are no right or wrong answers, and no pressure to share more than you're comfortable with.

WHY IS IT SO EFFECTIVE?

Simple, predictable routines like this help children develop emotional awareness, resilience and confidence in expressing themselves. They also provide parents with valuable insight into their child's world - often uncovering small moments, friendships or worries that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Perhaps most importantly, children learn that it's okay to experience both positive and difficult emotions in the same day, and that both are safe to talk about.

LISTEN BEFORE YOU SOLVE

When your child shares their "low", try resisting the urge to jump straight into problem-solving.

Instead, responses such as:

• "That sounds really hard."

• "Tell me more about that."

• "I'm glad you shared that with me."

can help children feel heard, understood and supported.

Feeling listened to is often more powerful than having a problem immediately fixed.

GIVE IT A TRY

Whether it's around the dinner table, during the drive home, or before bedtime, High, Low, Buffalo only takes a few minutes but can have a lasting impact on family connection.

Tonight, ask your family these three simple questions:

• What was your high today?

• What was your low today?

• What was your buffalo?

You may be surprised by what you learn and by the conversations that follow.

Small moments of connection, repeated consistently, can make a big difference.

https://www.connectedparenting.com.au/blog/high-low-buffalo-the-power-of-a-daily-connection-ritual