Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old

The prompt

“Is there something about you that you can tell you got from me or your other parent?”

What to listen for

A specific, thoughtful answer shows they're actively noticing how identity gets passed down, and starting to make sense of which parts of themselves feel inherited versus their own.

If they name a trait with clear pride, that's worth celebrating together; if they name something they're less sure about (like a temper or a worry), handle it gently, they may be quietly wondering if it's something they're stuck with.

If they can't think of anything, offer one you notice yourself, sometimes kids need the observation modeled once before they start noticing it themselves.

What this tells you

This shows you how your child is making sense of which parts of themselves feel handed down versus their own.