Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“If you were teaching a younger kid how to actually have fun, what would you tell them?”
What to listen for
If they describe something about letting go, not overplanning, or including others, that philosophy of fun reveals what they genuinely believe joy requires, treat it as real wisdom, not just a cute answer.
If their answer sounds a little wistful, like they wish they had more of that themselves, gently notice that without making it heavy, they need to know it's fine to want more lightness in their own life too.
If they joke around with the answer, join the joke, sometimes play about play is the most honest version of the conversation.
What this tells you
What they'd teach a younger kid about fun shows you what they believe joy actually requires.