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Every parent would love to connect with their child on a deep and personal level. This gives your little one the opportunity to be open and expressive about their dreams, fears and feelings. But let’s be honest your little one is a handful during the day and you’re probably spending all of your time trying to keep them from getting hurt or getting in trouble. Besides, parents are often trying to juggle the kids, chores, personal time and career. So finding time to have a real heart to heart with your kids can be hard. This is why most parents take advantage of their child’s bedtime routine to make up for lost time. Here are a couple of questions you can ask your kids while tucking them into bed in order to establish a close relationship with them.
1. “Who’s The Kindest Person You Know And Why?”
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It’s always great to think good positive thoughts before you go to bed. Besides, encouraging your kids to think about kindness right before they go to sleep will eventually build a habit for them to look for kindness in people. Intentionally seeking out kindness can lead to several benefits for your child. For example, it can reinstate how they can be kind in their own lives. Encouraging your children to think about the kindness done to them will help them appreciate their lives and the people in it and will encourage them to increase their own potential for kindness in their everyday actions and intentions.
2. “What Made You Feel Safe Today And What Didn’t?”
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Take the time to find out what made your child feel safe and secure during the day. This will help you become a better parent as you will be able to learn exactly how to build their self esteem and confidence. Also, learning about the things that make your child feel unsafe can help you make their environment more comfortable and eliminate the things that are hindering their growth. Not to mention that your children will be more inclined to tell you if something is wrong or bothering them in the future if they know that you are interested in their wellbeing and safety.
3. “Do You Have Any Questions About Today?”
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At any early age, children are curious and have a lot of questions. Although it may be impossible to address all of your little one’s queries during the day, you can take the time to answer the important ones that they have held onto during their bedtime routine. This will also help you gauge their interests, likes and dislikes and will give you some insight into how your child thinks.
Besides, encouraging them to share any particular insecurities or questions they had during the day will help you build a more trusting relationship with them. And practicing this habit will help you build somewhat of a safe space with them where they feel safe enough to share their opinions and learn without any fear of rejection or shame. This will ensure that your kids come to you with important questions in the future without hesitation.
4. “What Could You Have Done Better Today?”
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You may call your child angel but that doesn’t mean they act like one all the time. Children are prone to making mistakes which is absolutely normal. It just means that they are exploring and figuring the world out. But sometimes they can really get on your nerves or hurt you unintentionally. Sometimes they can lash out because they don’t know how to regulate their emotions yet and are not developed enough to do so.
So, at the end of the day, it’s a good practice to ask them what they feel they could have done better. Maybe they regret throwing a tantrum just because you forgot the apples in their salad even though they told you they hate apples. Or maybe they said something hurtful to their sibling and made them cry. We all live and learn. As long as your child has the ability to introspect and try to do better the next day, they are on the road to becoming self aware, responsible individuals which is great news for parents.
We get it, balancing a busing adult schedule and still trying to be intune with your children isn’t as easy as it seems. It actually takes a lot of effort to stay connected to your kids. But asking them these basic questions at the end of the day is one way to ensure that you and your little one have a lasting bond. What are some questions you ask your kids while they get ready for bed? Let us know in the comments section. Happy parenting!
