Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Was there ever a rule at a friend's house that totally surprised you?”
What to listen for
A lively answer here is usually just fun, low-stakes territory, teens love comparing households, and it's a great way to talk about differences in family rules without it becoming about your own rules specifically. Enjoy the story for what it is.
If they mention a rule that seems stricter or looser than yours, resist immediately defending your own household's approach, just let the comparison exist without needing to win it.
If they seem hesitant to answer honestly, that might mean past conversations like this turned into debates about fairness, try to keep tonight light.
What this tells you
This kind of story shows you how they're quietly comparing and evaluating different ways of living, which is a normal and healthy part of forming their own sense of what's fair.