Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“Is there a rule at a friend's house that seems totally strange to you?”
What to listen for
A curious, non-judgmental answer shows they're comparing households in a healthy, observational way. Ask what they think about that rule, and why ours might be different.
If they say they wish we had that rule instead, that's useful information worth exploring without getting defensive.
If they can't think of one, ask about a specific friend's house they've visited recently.
What this tells you
This shows you how they're making sense of different family rules and where ours fits into their bigger picture.