Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old

The prompt

“What does it look like when a kid and a grown-up are being respectful to each other, can you show me an example?”

What to listen for

If they describe respect as one-directional, kids listening to adults, that may reflect what they've mostly seen modeled, and it's worth gently asking "what about the other way around?" If they naturally include grown-ups listening to kids too, they already sense that respect goes both ways, which usually means they feel heard at home.

If they bring up a specific moment (a teacher, a parent, a coach), pay attention to whether the story is warm or tense, it tells you what respect currently feels like in their body, not just their head.

If they shrug or say "I don't know," ask for just one small example, like at the dinner table or in the car. Little kids often understand respect through action before they can define it in words.

What this tells you

Their example of respect shows whether they currently experience being taken seriously, or mostly experience being managed.