Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“How does our family usually show we're proud of each other? Do you feel like it happens enough?”
What to listen for
If they can name specific things, a certain phrase, a high-five, a favorite dinner after a big day, that's a sign the ritual is landing and they feel celebrated for who they are, not just what they achieve. If they say 'I don't know' or go quiet, that's worth sitting with rather than rushing past.
If they say it happens more for a sibling or for certain kinds of wins (like grades over effort), that's an important, if uncomfortable, thing to hear, it may mean they feel their own kind of effort doesn't count as much.
Either way, resist defending the family's track record in the moment. Just take it in.
What this tells you
This tells you whether they currently feel genuinely celebrated at home or like praise is unevenly or rarely given.