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Try These 3 Fun Emotional Check-Ins with Kids This Weekend!

Plus: 😂 Funny Parenting Tweets to Leave You in Splits

Author

Amarja Pawar
April 26, 2024

Let’s face it, raising tiny humans is a wild ride. In my work as a founder of Pickup Sports, a company that helps kids, and in my most important role as “mom,” I come across important and fun stories on parenting, health, kids, and behavior. Every Friday, I’ll be dropping a dose of laid-back parenting humor and helpful tips straight to your inbox. Think of it as your weekly pep talk with a side of giggles.

Help us get to know you by taking our quick 22-second survey. My 8-year-old did it in 7 seconds, and I’m pretty sure you’re faster than that!

Hear More Than “Fine”: 3 Fun Check-Ins to Connect with Your Kid This Weekend!

School's out for summer... well, almost! Between the end-of-year parties, sports playoffs, summer planning and ice cream emergencies, I’ve sometimes found it hard to really connect with my kiddos.

Do you ever hear those grunts of "fine" in response to "How was your day?"

We need laughter and silliness, people!

Think about doing a “silly question sandwich”

Basically, ask a silly question, a serious question, then another silly question.

Doing your check-ins with them this way may help kids identify and manage their feelings, which benefits their overall well-being. Here are 3 creative ways to do this:

1. Ask your first silly question. Here are some ideas: 😂 😾 🤪

For Little kids:

Where do you think Santa went on vacation?

What would you do if you had four arms?

Describe your day with colors. Was it a sunshine-yellow kind of day, or maybe a stormy-gray one? Tell me what made your mood shift colors throughout the day.

For Big kids:

If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or in the future?

How would you say your name if you were an alien?

2. Serious questions to ask to find out how their day went.

Little Kids

Who did you play with today? What did you do together?

Did you try (or learn) anything new or different today?

If you could change one rule at school, what would it be?

Big Kids:

Would you rather spend all day in a math or reading class?

What’s the most interesting thing you learned today?

Is there anything you want to tell me about your day that I might not know?

3. When the conversation from the last question ends on a serious note, ask another silly question that connects to it!  

Little Kids

Your day sounds like it could be a movie! Do you think it’s more like “Despicable Me” or “Lion King” or “Moana”? (use movies that make sense and that your child has seen).

Big kids

I feel like your day needs a theme song. What should we play?

Bonus: Roundup of these funny parenting tweets that will leave you in splits