Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Have you ever had to tell someone something you knew they didn't want to hear? How'd you decide to say it?”
What to listen for
If they describe choosing honesty carefully, thinking about timing, wording, kindness, they need to feel capable of handling hard moments like a trusted adult would, not like a kid avoiding conflict.
If they say they chickened out or still regret how it went, resist jumping to advice. Just reflect that it's a genuinely hard thing to do well, so they feel understood rather than corrected.
A quiet "not really" might mean they haven't faced this yet, or that it still feels too raw to discuss, either is fine to leave alone.
What this tells you
How they navigate telling a hard truth shows how much they trust their own judgment in relationships that matter to them.