Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old

The prompt

“What kind of joke or humor do you reach for when things get tense, like your go-to way to lighten the mood?”

What to listen for

If they describe deflecting with humor, notice whether it sounds like genuine lightness or a habit of covering discomfort, either way, they need to know both are okay, and you're not going to read too much into a joke.

If they mention using humor to help someone else feel better, that's a sign of real emotional awareness, they need that instinct recognized as a strength, not just "being funny."

If they say they don't really do that, ask what they do instead, there's no wrong answer here, just curiosity.

What this tells you

Their go-to humor in tense moments shows you how they've learned to take care of the emotional temperature around them.