Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Out of everything you believe right now, what's one value you hope sticks with you no matter how much else changes?”
What to listen for
A confident, specific answer, honesty, loyalty, kindness, whatever it is, shows they've already started to build a stable core identity that they intend to hold onto through all the changes ahead.
If they connect the value to a specific memory or person who taught it to them, that context is worth appreciating warmly, it shows how values get passed down through relationships, not just lectures.
If they're unsure, that's completely fine at this age, values are still solidifying, and the question itself plants something worth revisiting.
What this tells you
The value they hope stays permanent shows what they're choosing as the stable core of their identity amid everything else that's still changing.