Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“How would you describe contentment, like really being okay, in your own words?”
What to listen for
If they describe something simple and specific, quiet, a certain person, a particular activity, that clarity about contentment is valuable self-knowledge worth naming and encouraging them to protect.
If they struggle to describe it or say they don't really feel it often, take that seriously and gently, they need to feel like that's worth paying attention to together, not something to brush past.
If they describe contentment as tied to achievement or approval, gently notice that without correcting it outright, it's worth revisiting the idea over time that contentment can exist without earning it.
What this tells you
How they define contentment shows you what actually makes them feel like enough, exactly as they are.