Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old

The prompt

“Do you and a specific friend have a tradition or thing you always do together?”

What to listen for

A quick, fond answer shows a friendship with real texture and history, little rituals like this are often where teens feel most simply themselves, no performance required. Let them enjoy describing it without asking too many follow-up questions that might make it feel examined.

If the tradition sounds small or silly to you, remember that's often the point, the smallness is what makes it feel safe and theirs.

If they can't think of one, that's fine, not every friendship needs a defined ritual to be meaningful.

What this tells you

This tradition shows you where they feel most naturally like themselves with another person, without needing to prove or perform anything.