ENCOURAGING YOUR CHILD TO OPEN UP ABOUT SCHOOL | AD

16th August 2021 Family

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It can be frustrating as a parent when you eagerly greet your child at the end of the school day and ask what they got up to, only to be met with a mumbled “I can’t remember.” Often children are tired at the end of the day and just want to relax, so it might be best to ask them after dinner, but even then it can be a struggle getting anything out of them. If you’d like your child to open up more about school, you might find these tips from a junior school in Witney useful. 

Photo by Taylor Wilcox on Unsplash

Ask open ended questions

Try to ensure the questions you ask allow for a detailed answer. If you just ask yes/no questions, like “Did you have a nice day” or “Was school good today?” you’ll likely get a short answer. Instead, reframe your questions to make them more open, for example, ask “What did you enjoy about school today?” or “What was hard for you today at school?” to elicit a fuller response. It’s best not to bombard your child with these questions as soon as they get out of school, no matter how eager you are to know how they got on. 

Show interest in their education

Make sure you’re following your child’s curriculum and know roughly what they’re studying and when – this will help you start relevant discussions with them and support them through any difficulties. Make an appointment with their teacher to ask how they’re doing at school so you can nip any problems in the bud, and help your child with their homework while showing an interest in the subject. Seeing your enthusiasm for their school work might rub off on them and encourage them to approach homework more keenly. 

Don’t judge

When your child does open up to you about school, try not to interrupt or jump in with advice unless they ask for it. Let them talk freely without asking them too many questions or imposing your own views on things. Your child will be more likely to open up to you if they’re not afraid of your judgement or bombarded with guidance when they don’t necessarily need it. Family mealtimes and bedtimes are great times to talk uninhibited about what happened during the day and offer subtle support and encouragement if needed. 

It’s important to remember that kids will open up when they want to and feel able to, so the best thing you can do is foster an open environment where they feel supported and encouraged without any pressure or judgement.