Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old

The prompt

“Tell me about a time you helped a friend get through a hard day.”

What to listen for

If they describe specific things they did or said, that's a sign they're building real confidence in their ability to matter to someone else, not just to be liked by them.

If they focus more on how it made them feel afterward than on fixing the friend's problem, that shows they're learning that just showing up for someone counts, even without a perfect solution.

If they can't think of an example, ask what they'd do if a friend were having a hard day tomorrow, the hypothetical often unlocks just as much.

What this tells you

This shows you how much they already believe their presence can make a real difference to someone else.