Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“When you picture your future, friends, maybe a family of your own, what does that look like to you?”
What to listen for
An open, hopeful answer shows they feel safe imagining good relationships ahead, often shaped by what they've seen modeled at home, that's a strong sign of feeling secure in how connection is supposed to work. Let them describe it without steering it toward your own hopes for their life.
If their picture differs from what you might expect, different timeline, different shape of family, stay curious rather than correcting; this is their vision, not a plan due for your approval.
If they say it's too far off to think about, that's a totally fair answer at this age, no need to push further into it tonight.
What this tells you
Their picture of future connection shows you what they've absorbed about relationships so far, and how hopeful they currently feel about finding their own version of belonging.