Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“What's your favorite thing about being exactly the age you are right now?”
What to listen for
If they name a new privilege or skill, they're feeling proud of growing up, which is great for their sense of themselves. Ask what they couldn't do before that they can do now.
If they say they'd rather be older or younger, that's worth a light follow-up, sometimes it means they want more independence, sometimes more closeness.
A quick 'I don't know' is common; try asking what's different about them now compared to last year.
What this tells you
This tells you how comfortable they feel in their current stage of growing up, and whether they feel proud of who they are right now.