Dinner questions that get a story, not «fine».
«How was school?» gets you one word. These get you the lunch table, the unfair rule and the thing nobody at home knew. Twenty of our 110 cards, by age, free to use tonight. Rule one: one card per dinner, never two. Rule two: parents answer too.
Ages 3 to 6
What made you laugh today? Tell me the whole story.
If you were an animal for a day, which one? What would you eat for breakfast?
If your favorite toy could talk, what would it tell us about you? Any secrets?
Who did you help today? Even a little bit?
Where's your favorite spot at home? What do you do there?
Ages 5 to 12
What was the bravest thing you did this week?
When you're really angry, what helps? Stomping? Hiding? A hug?
Plan us the perfect Saturday, from breakfast to bedtime.
Best part of school today? And the most boring?
Who sat next to you at lunch, and what did you talk about?
Who did you see being kind this week? What did they do?
What happened lately that was just not fair? What would fair have looked like?
Where does money come from, do you think? Let's work it out together.
Ages 8 to 17
Everyone answers: what was the hardest bit of today, and what got you through it?
When is telling the truth hard? Tell us about one time.
What do you wish we did more often together? Pizza counts.
What's everyone your age into right now that we clearly don't get? Explain it slowly.
What's taking up the most room in your head right now?
What do we do as parents that actually helps? And what could we quit doing?
When was it hard to say no to your friends? How did it go?
For the parents to answer
Parents answer: how did you two meet? Kids, guess first.
Parents answer this one: What did I get wrong this week? Kids may add to the list.
When did you last feel I really listened to you? And when was I just waiting for my turn to talk?
How to use them
One card per dinner. Put the phone face down after reading it. Parents answer first, honestly, including the embarrassing bits; that's what makes a nine-year-old talk. If a card lands flat, let it go and try another one tomorrow. If someone says «pass», that counts as an answer.
In the app the cards know your children's ages, so tonight's card fits the table. Three cards a week are free. Plus opens all 110, plus thirteen reflection rounds like «Rose, thorn, bud» and «Just as you are», and the games.
Get tonight's card
Parents also ask
My 12-year-old answers every question with "fine." Is that normal?
Completely normal, and not a sign that the door is closed for good. At twelve, "fine" mostly means "I'm building a room of my own, and I'm tired." The way in is sideways, not head-on.
My child screamed "I hate you!" at me. Is that normal?
Yes. Nearly every parent hears it, and it hurts every time. It doesn't mean what it says. It means "I'm furious and you're the one person I'm sure will still be here in the morning."
My 9-year-old has hardly any friends. Is that normal?
Often, yes. Some children need one good friend, not a crowd, and at nine friendships shift all the time. The question isn't how many. It's whether your child is content, and whether they have a way in when they want one.