Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“What's something you'd want to be remembered for accomplishing someday?”
What to listen for
A confident, specific answer shows they've started imagining their own legacy, however small or big, that's them wanting their life to matter in a lasting way, and it deserves to be taken seriously rather than treated as a cute aspiration.
If their answer is more about impact on people than achievements or titles, that's a meaningful values signal, being remembered for kindness or presence is just as real a goal as any career milestone.
If they say they haven't thought about it, that's completely normal, legacy is a big concept, and plenty of teens are still just figuring out next semester, let alone their whole life.
What this tells you
What they want to be remembered for shows you what kind of impact already matters to them, and what they hope their life adds up to.