Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“What do you think people misunderstand about what it actually means to be a good person?”
What to listen for
A strong opinion here means they're actively building their own moral compass instead of just parroting rules, that's them needing to be trusted as someone who can think it through themselves. Ask a genuine follow-up instead of grading their answer.
If they mention that being "good" sometimes gets confused with being agreeable or quiet, listen closely, that might mean they've felt pressure to perform goodness rather than just live by it.
If they say they haven't thought about it, that's a completely normal answer for a school night, no need to push for depth.
What this tells you
Their take on this shows you where their own values are heading, separate from what they've been taught to say, and how much room they feel to think for themselves.