Image Source: http://www.calendar-365.com/2016-calendar.html
So the end of our calendar year is upon us again as we say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016. We have made another orbit around the sun and many cultures find this time of the year to be a time to reflect on the past, plan for the future and generally hope for more prosperity. It is also a great time to talk with and listen to your children about their thoughts about their year and what they hope for in the coming year.
Of course starting a meaningful conversation beyond ‘what do you want for dinner’, ‘do you have any homework…is it done?’ and/or ‘did you pick-up your toys?’ with a child or teen can seem a harrowing task. Below you will find a few conversation starters you might try the next couple of days. Remember you might be surprised by the response but you should try not to be negative nor judgemental. Should that surprise (which can actually be good) happen, a positive way to understand the response better is to ask ‘can you tell me more about that?’ or ‘what makes that important to you?’. Digging a bit deeper just might bring a smile to your face and warmth to you heart.
New Years Conversation Starters
- What word describes the last year for you?
- What word do you think will describe the next year?
- What is your educational goal for this year?
- What are you most proud of in the past year?
- If you had the power to change something in the past year what would it be? Why?
- What was the best advice you had last year?
- What you do in the new year that will help make the world a better place to live?
- Did anything inspire you last year?
- What was your favorite memory of last year?
- What is one thing you really want to do in the coming year?
For a nice set of 220 free questions you can print on index cards visit the Balancing Beauty and Bedlam website.
Happy New Year!
tutordoctorwny01 