100 Questions to Ask Your Teen Other Than How Was School?
06April

100 Questions to Ask Your Teen Other Than How Was School?

Written by Cristo Rogers, Posted on , in Section Family Matters

Try Asking The Questions That Really Matter and Actually Have a Meaning Conversation

Struggling to come up with things to ask your adolescent child in those few precious moments you have together? Here are some suggestions.

As children enter adolescence and spend more time away with friends or on their own, it easy for parents to feel a bit disconnected. When we do get a chance to interact, this gap can make conversations awkward and difficult to start, leading to old standby questions like “How was school?” that rarely get meaningful conversations started.

To read the full article written by David Rettew, M.D. and published on PsychologyToday.com on April 6th, 2018, click here.

With some help from my oldest son, Jackson Rettew, and his classmates at the Mount Mansfield Union High School in Jericho, Vermont, here is a list of 100 alternate questions that parents might consider asking their teenage kids. We tried to avoid those that might come up on college essays or job interviews. Some are serious, others are light-hearted. And, of course, many may not be appropriate or apply to your own family. Nonetheless, here they are for your consideration, presented in no particular order. We hope at least some might be useful to try.

  1. What are the different cliques or social groups in your school and which one, if any, are you in?
  2. Do you have a celebrity crush?
  3. What is the coolest app that I don’t have on my phone?
  4. What is the most embarrassing thing that I do?
  5. Who do you eat lunch with at school?
  6. How would you describe my parenting style?
  7. What bands are you listening to these days?
  8. Can you play me one of their best songs?
  9. Who would you say is your best friend right now?
  10. Where would be an awesome place to go for a family vacation?
  11. What do you think of President Trump?
  12. What do you think of my hairstyle?
  13. Did I ever tell you about how I met you're (mother, father)?
  14. Who is your favorite and least favorite teacher this year?
  15. Which shows are you watching right now?
  16. Any of those shows you’d recommend for me?
  17. Do you think aliens exist?
  18. How male or female do you feel inside as you get older?
  19. Is there anything you would like to learn how to do?
  20. Have there been any books that you had to read this year that you really liked?
  21. How would you describe your personality?
  22. How would you describe my personality (or the other parent)?
  23. Is bullying a problem at your school?
  24. Are drug and alcohol use a big thing at your school?
  25. What is the one thing you don’t know about me that you want to know?

See the remaining 75 numbers, click here.