Preschoolers have a lot to say and sometimes don’t always know how to say it. That’s why, as a parent or guardian, it’s important to make sure you’re asking them the right questions! Good questions have the ability to spark good conversations between your preschooler and you. A productive conversation with your little one can lead to understanding them better and growing in your relationship with them. Here are 4 great questions to ask your preschooler:
1. What’s Your Favorite…?
More than likely, you already know about many of your preschooler’s “favorites”. However, what they consider their favorite thing (you pick the category) can be an ever-changing, revolving door. That’s why continuously asking the question “what’s your favorite” is so important! As your child grows, learns, and changes, their preferences on certain things will also change. Ask them about their favorite color, song, toy, book, or food. The possibilities are truly endless with this question, and from this question, conversations about why they like or dislike certain things can start to happen. It is simple yet effective and will help you learn so much about your growing preschooler!
2. How Does That Make You Feel?
Processing feelings and emotions for a preschooler can be very overwhelming. Often, the feelings they’re feeling are new. As a parent, a great way to help your child navigate their emotions is by asking them the right questions. The best place to start is by asking, “how does that make you feel?”. This one question can open the door for so many conversations and discussions about feelings. Help them to understand the meaning of adjectives like “sad”, “happy”, and “mad”. The more they can verbalize what they are feeling, the more you can understand them and what’s happening inside their little heads!
3. What Do You Think?
Allowing your preschooler to have an opinion on certain things is a major part of their development. When your child knows that they are heard and that their thoughts matter, they will feel safe and understood by you. Of course, there are boundaries with this question because sometimes, they will not like something that you believe is best for them. But, this is a great question to ask when it comes to simpler things like what’s packed in their lunch box, what outfit they’ll wear to school, or what book they want to read. Giving them a voice and opinion in small areas will help them to understand that they matter. What they have to say is important to you and will always be taken into consideration.
4. What Are You Really Good At?
In today’s world, it can be hard to instill confidence in your children. The noise all around them is constantly telling them to be better and do better. This type of noise creates an “I’m not good enough” mindset. As their parent or guardian, it is important to not only call out the things they are good at but, have them call out the things they are good at. A humble recognition of themselves creates healthy confidence that they can carry with them throughout their life. Encourage your preschooler to speak positively about themselves and watch as they grow to believe in themselves more and more!
Parents and guardians, you all are doing a great job with your preschoolers! At Connection Point, we love getting the opportunity to partner with you in helping your children grow and develop. These questions are just a few ways to help spark great conversations with your little ones! To learn more about how to invest in your child’s development, check out our other blogs at https://cpointelc.com/blog/.