Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“What's something you feel a lot more confident about now than you did a year ago?”
What to listen for
If they can name something specific and describe the shift, they're actually tracking their own growth in real time, which is a powerful skill, reflect it back clearly so they know you see it too.
If they say nothing's changed, gently offer something you've noticed, since kids often underestimate how much they've grown simply because they were there for all of it gradually.
If they say "I don't know," ask about something that used to feel hard that doesn't anymore.
What this tells you
This tells you how aware they are of their own growth, which shapes how much credit they give themselves.