"How was school today" + Other Non-Starters with Teen Girls
Are you ready for the holiday season? Gathering for the holidays is a great time to catch-up with loved ones who we may not have seen in a while. Catching up with adolescents, though, can prove to be tricky.
To get girls to actually talk with us and share more than “yes,” “no,” “fine” or “okay,” we need to ask open-ended rather than closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions cannot be answered with a yes, no or one-word answer.
“How was school today” is an example of a closed-ended question. Instead, we could ask an open-ended question such as, “Tell me about something good that happened today at school.”
The next time you get to catch up in a conversation with your favorite girls, try some of these examples of open-ended questions!
What’s your favorite Netflix show / book / musician right now?
What’s one thing you’ve enjoyed about school this year?
What’s one thing you’re really proud of right now?
What’s something you’re looking forward to doing over break?
For more tips on how to talk with girls, read chapter 13, "What Girls Need," of Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers, and Life by Dr. Lisa Hinkelman.
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