Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Has a total stranger ever done something small that made you feel like they actually saw you?”
What to listen for
A specific memory, someone who complimented them, helped them out, or just made eye contact and smiled at the right moment, shows they're paying attention to the world with an open heart, and that they value feeling noticed, even by people who don't know them.
If the story involves them helping someone else feel seen, that's worth appreciating out loud, it shows they understand the value of that feeling because they've given it themselves.
If nothing comes to mind, you can share one of your own first, sometimes modeling the memory helps unlock theirs.
What this tells you
What they remember about being seen by a stranger shows how much small moments of recognition matter to their sense of mattering in the world.