Radio series update: What Kids Would Tell You…If Only You’d Ask! This week, we explored conversations you don’t need to have with your kids! Think about this: When’s the last time you had a conversation with your kids? I don’t mean, “How was school?” or “What do you have for homework?” or “Did you clean your room, brush your teeth?” I mean an honest to goodness conversation about some random topic. A chance to talk, explore and get a glimpse of how your child thinks. For most parents, the answer to the question is a resounding… “I don’t have a clue.”

And here’s an interesting observation:

• There are lots of people, books and TV shows telling parents what they SHOULD talk to their kids about: sex, drugs, drinking and driving, etc.
• There are other sources that will suggest conversations you SHOULD have from a faith-based point of view.
• And then there are the conversations I encourage you to have. They are about nothing and everything.

In fact, you could spend your whole life NEVER having any of these conversations with your kids—and you’ll never miss them…EXCEPT—you will. What you’d miss are the opportunities to get to know your kids…one conversation at a time—by finding out about what they think, how they feel…about their opinions, ideas, and dreams. My book, What Kids Would Tell You…If Only You’d Ask has 101 conversation topics you can have with your family. Each page has a topic question and then blank spaces for you to later jot down sweet tidbits to capture for a lifetime. The book is Priceless…because no one else can write your commentary. Only you will have this one-of-a-kind journal for a lifetime. Or to pass along to your kids when they become parents… Here are just a few examples:

1. If you could change the world, what would you do?
2. What super power would you like to have? What would you do with it?
3. Do you think there are such things as flying saucers/aliens? What if you saw one?
4. If you could invent something, what would it be?
5. What’s your favorite movie? Hero? Villain? If you could jump into the movie who would you be and what would you do?
6. What do you like about yourself? Don’t like? What would you like to change?
7. What are you good at? Not so good at? What would you like to be good at?

These are the kind of conversations you can have around the dinner table—with parent participation, please—or in the car, during bath or bedtime, etc. These are the kinds of things that we rarely stop and explore with our children. (You might try to guess ahead of time, and see if you are right!)

And, I bet you’ll be surprised at some of the responses.

Enjoy your kids!

Want more ideas? Check out my parent guide: What Kids Would Tell You…If Only You’d Ask! http://www.betterparentinginstitute.com

And please feel free to send me some of your own and your kids’ ideas.