Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Is there a skill you basically had to build from zero, with no natural head start at all?”
What to listen for
If they describe grinding through something that didn't come easily, that pride in earned skill deserves real recognition, they need to know effort counts as much as natural talent, maybe more.
If they mention early failures or embarrassment along the way, notice how they talk about that past struggle, with humor, with lingering frustration, and meet whichever tone they bring.
If they can't think of anything, ask about something they're still working on now instead, the point is honoring the process, not requiring a finished story.
What this tells you
How they talk about building a skill from scratch shows you how much they trust their own persistence.