Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old

The prompt

“As you get older, what's one thing about you that you hope never changes, no matter what?”

What to listen for

Whatever core trait or value they name, kindness, curiosity, a sense of humor, is basically them telling you what feels most essentially "them," and protecting that answer in your own mind helps you recognize and encourage it as they grow.

If they mention a relationship rather than a trait, like always being close with a sibling or friend, that shows how much continuity in connection matters to their sense of identity.

If they say they don't know, that's fine, some teens are still figuring out what feels permanent versus what's just a phase, and that uncertainty is normal.

What this tells you

What they hope stays the same reveals what part of their identity feels most true and worth protecting as everything else around them changes.