Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Is there a big goal you've never actually told anyone out loud?”
What to listen for
If they share it, that's a significant moment of trust, big unspoken goals often feel fragile, like saying them out loud might jinx them or invite judgment, so treat it as something precious, not something to immediately plan around. Just receive it with genuine warmth.
If they mention it's something ambitious or unconventional, resist the urge to assess how realistic it is tonight, right now they need a believer, not a strategist.
If they say they don't have one, or aren't ready to share it, that's completely fine, some dreams need to stay private a while longer, and that's healthy, not concerning.
What this tells you
The fact that they trusted you with this at all shows you how safe they feel wanting something big without being second-guessed.