Focus on Optimism and Gratitude

What Was Your Warm and Fuzzy Today?

When my daughter was seven years old, one night at dinner, she exclaimed; "What was everyone's warm and fuzzy today?" It was a question her teacher asked her class at the end of each day to find out what the best part of their day was. So, we played along, and each of us shared their 'warm and fuzzy' moment for the day. Fourteen years later, we are still asking each other every night at dinner, what their warm and fuzzy was. It's turned into a bit of a tradition in our household and a lovely way to reflect on the enjoyable and positive parts of our days. With a focus on optimism and gratitude, rather than the problematic and challenging moments of our days, I wonder if this is something you would consider doing in your family?

As we begin a new term and focus on school lunches, uniforms and homework, it might be a good time to pause and think about that same question most of us ask when we see our children after school – "How was your day at school today?". Most parents are greeted with a one-word answer and that's because young children have limited recall on 'what' they actually did at school during the day. As parents, we are always looking for unique ways to connect and reconnect with our children. Research tells us that younger children ask up to about 300 questions every day. As they get older, the rate of asking questions tend to decline over time. While you might be happy to avoid some of the constant "why?" questions, it's important to keep their minds open and inquisitive. Spending some time asking them thought-provoking questions is a great way to keep that creativity flowing!

Try some of these questions to start the conversation rolling, I have highlighted some of my favourites.