Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“If you could pick one grown-up to teach you any skill at all, what would you want to learn?”
What to listen for
Notice which grown-up they pick, that person likely represents someone they admire or want more time with right now, which is worth acting on. The skill itself matters too: physical skills (sports, bike tricks) often reflect wanting competence among peers, while creative or practical skills (cooking, building) often reflect wanting to feel capable and grown-up.
If they pick you, that's a lovely, clear signal of how much they value time learning alongside you specifically, not just learning the skill itself.
If they say "I don't know," ask what they've seen a grown-up do that looked amazing or fun to try.
What this tells you
Both the skill and the teacher they choose show who they admire and what kind of competence they're hungry to build right now.