Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old

The prompt

“If you were in charge of redesigning your school, what's the first thing you'd change?”

What to listen for

Listen for whether the change is about rules (less homework, different schedule), relationships (recess time, seating), or something bigger about how kids are treated, each direction tells you something different about what currently frustrates them most in that environment. A detailed, thought-out answer shows they've genuinely been sitting with this frustration, not just venting in the moment.

If the answer is something silly like 'more pizza days,' that's fine too, not every answer needs to be deep, and playful complaints are still complaints worth a light laugh together.

If something serious comes up, like a rule that feels unfair or a way kids get treated, take it seriously and ask a genuine follow-up rather than moving on quickly.

What this tells you

This tells you what currently feels most broken or frustrating to them about the place they spend most of their day, in their own words.