Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“What's something ordinary that actually takes real guts, in your opinion?”
What to listen for
Teens who answer this with something small and human, like telling someone the truth, or sitting alone at lunch, are showing you they've been paying close attention to their own life and value quiet strength over showy stuff. That's worth reflecting back to them.
If their example involves a moment of their own, even indirectly, that's them letting you glimpse something they're proud of without having to brag about it outright. Let them have that moment.
If they deflect into a joke, that's okay, humor is often how teens test whether a topic is safe before going deeper.
What this tells you
The kind of courage they admire tells you what they're quietly striving to become, and whether they feel like they've already shown some of it themselves.