Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“Has a joke you made ever accidentally hurt somebody's feelings? What happened after?”
What to listen for
If they can describe noticing the hurt and doing something about it, like apologizing, they're showing real emotional awareness, understanding that their words land on other people, not just floating harmlessly.
If they seem to still feel bad about it or unsure it's really over, that's a cue to reassure them that everyone accidentally hurts someone sometimes, and that noticing and caring about it is exactly what makes them a good friend.
If they say "I don't know" or it hasn't happened, ask what they'd do if it did, it still shows their instincts.
What this tells you
This shows how attuned they are to the impact their words have on the people around them.