Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“Is there something that scares you that you haven't really told anyone about?”
What to listen for
If they open up, that is a significant moment of trust, resist any urge to minimize the fear or rush to solve it; just receiving it well is the most important thing you can do right now.
If they share something and then quickly add 'it's probably dumb,' reassure them clearly that it isn't, fears feel dumb mostly because they haven't been said out loud before.
If they say there's nothing, don't push hard tonight, just let them know this door stays open whenever something does come up.
What this tells you
This shows you what your child has been carrying alone, and whether they're ready to stop carrying it that way.