If you are a grandparent to school-aged kids, there is a definite buzz in the air. Parents are scrambling to get the right clothes, new shoes and the necessary school supplies.
Remember those days?!
The following idea will work even if your grandchild is not in school yet. They might be in daycare or at home with Mum or Dad. But they do need to be talking. If they are not, save this list somewhere special because before you know it, they WILL be!
Today, I’m focusing on that question almost every long distance grandparent asks their grandchild(ren) on FaceTime or Skype:
How was school?
To which the child replies: ‘Good’ or ‘Fine’.
The thing is, it’s a question that rolls off the tongue so quickly, it’s quite hard not to ask it. I picked my son up from school yesterday and guess what I asked him when I got there?
How was school?
It’s a habit that is hard to break!
But because I had researched better questions to ask kids, I was able to follow it up quickly with question #3 below and we had a fun conversation.
In sum, don’t despair if you ask ‘How was school?’. There are tons of questions you can ask to get to know their little personalities.
Side Note: The questions are mostly for kids 10 and under.
10 Questions to Ask Instead of ‘How was school?’
- What did you eat for lunch? Who had the best lunch at school today?
- Who was the funniest person at school today? Who made you laugh at school today? What did they do that made you laugh?
- If you could be the teacher for the day, what would you teach the class?
- If one of your classmates could be the teacher for the day who would you want it to be? Why?
- Tell me something you learned about a friend today.
- What is one thing you did today that was helpful or kind?
- What games did you play at recess or breaktime? Who did you play with?
- If you could invite someone famous to come to school with you, who would it be? Why? (For younger kids, give them a choice… if you could take Spider Man or Captain America who would you choose?)
- If you could make up a name for your school what would you call it?
- What made your teacher happy today? What made him/her sad/upset/?
A bonus tip: It’s a great time of year to reach out to your grandkid’s parents with some extra love and acknowledgment. For many, back to school is stressful, chaotic and emotional.
All you need to do is send a quick note, a text, an email or a card in the mail. Let them know you’ve noticed all the preparation and work it took to make sure the grandchildren were clean, clothed and fed on their first day back!
Massive thanks for the opportunity to share these ideas and inspirations. I do hope you are enjoying them.
Happy Connecting Grandparents!
Kerry
Founder
The Long Distance Grandparent
