Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“What's the funniest thing someone in our family did this whole week?”
What to listen for
If they light up telling the story, notice who they chose to feature, the person picked is often someone they feel closely bonded with right now, or someone whose attention they're craving. That's useful information, especially if it's not you.
If they can't think of anything, it might mean the week felt flat or serious at home, or it might just mean they need a beat to remember, try narrowing it to "funny at dinner" or "funny in the car."
If they answer with something that happened to them rather than someone else, that's fine too, sometimes kids process their own embarrassing or silly moments by turning them into family folklore.
What this tells you
The person they pick as "funniest" usually tells you who currently feels closest to their heart.