Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“Was there a moment today that felt kind of disappointing?”
What to listen for
If they can name it clearly, they trust you enough to bring you the smaller, harder feelings, not just the good news of the day, which is a real sign of safety.
If they downplay it or say it was nothing big, that's okay, sometimes just being asked is enough, and they may bring up more later once they know you're open to hearing it.
If they say "I don't know" or "nothing," let it be, you can say "okay, I'm glad today was mostly good then," keeping the door open without forcing it.
What this tells you
Whether they can name a small disappointment tonight shows how safe it feels to share the less shiny parts of their day with you.