You may be familiar with our Relationship Connection Questions, a tool we use for encouraging connected conversations between partners and assessing how things are going for you as a couple. Well, this is the same thing, tailored to nurturing family bonds and checking-in on how you're doing individually, as parents, and as a family.
These prompts and questions help to spark deep, meaningful, and connected conversations between family members. While most of these questions are best suited to families and parents, you can also work through some of these by yourself to get a deeper understanding of things like your family values. These questions can also be a great tool for getting your kids engaged in mealtime discussions and using their creative brains to think outside the box.
Weekly/Monthly Family Check In
A check in for the whole family...
What's been going on for us as a family? Let's debrief...
What's going well for us?
What's been challenging?
Who needs support?
What's on the horizon?
What should we focus on?
Weekly/Monthly Parenting Check In
A check in just for the parents and caregivers of the household...
How have we supported each other this week?
How have we handled conflicts/disagreements, and how can we improve?
Did we make any progress on any shared goals or projects?
How can we ensure we have some quality alone time together this week?
Is there anything specific you need from me in the week ahead?
What are some upcoming events or commitments we need to coordinate on?
How are we managing household responsibilities, is there anything we need to adjust?
How about parenting responsibilities?
Is there anything you’re struggling with at the moment?
How are we doing in terms of balancing our individual needs with family commitments?
Family Conversations
Here's a list of family connection questions to facilitate meaningful conversations and strengthen bonds:
What's one thing that made you smile today?
What's a favorite family memory from the past year?
How can we support each other better as a family?
What's one goal or dream you have for our family this year?
What's something you appreciate about each family member?
How can we make our family time more enjoyable and meaningful?
Is there anything you're worried or stressed about that you'd like to share?
What's one thing you'd like to learn or try together as a family?
How can we communicate better and resolve conflicts more effectively?
What traditions or rituals do you enjoy most as a family?
What's one thing you admire about another family member?
How can we show more love and appreciation for each other on a daily basis?
What's something challenging you're facing that you'd like help with?
How can we create a more supportive and nurturing environment at home?
What's one thing you're looking forward to experiencing together as a family in the future?
What are some things you like to do alone?
If we spent a perfect family day together, what would that look like? What would we do and where would we go?
What is one thing each of your family members say a lot? Choose one for each family member.
You can always adapt these questions to suit the dynamics and preferences of your own family!
Connecting with Your Teen
Here are some questions tailored to resonate with teenage children to encourage deeper engagement and reflection:
What's something you're really passionate about right now?
How do you feel about your friendships and social life currently?
What's one thing you appreciate about our family dynamic?
Is there a skill or hobby you'd like to explore more as a family?
How can we as parents support you better during this stage of your life?
What's one goal or aspiration you have for yourself in the coming year?
How do you think we could make family time more enjoyable for everyone?
Is there anything you feel you're struggling with that you'd like to discuss?
What's one thing you'd like to see change or improve in our family communication?
How can we respect your need for independence while still staying connected as a family?
What's one thing you wish adults understood better about being a teenager today?
How do you think we can balance family responsibilities with personal interests?
What's a memorable experience or trip you'd like to plan together as a family?
How can we celebrate your achievements and milestones more meaningfully?
What's something you're excited about for our family's future?
Adapting these questions to suit the interests and personalities of your teenagers can spark valuable discussions and strengthen family bonds.
Small Talk for Younger Kids
These questions are suitable for pre-school aged children and up.
What's your favourite time of year? Why?
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
What animal do you think your family members would be?
What's your favourite song?
If a magical genie granted you one wish, what would you wish for?
What's your most treasured item you own? Why?
What would you do if you won a million dollars?
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
Who is your hero or heroine?
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
If you could choose a skill to master, what would pick and why?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Why?
Do you think there are aliens on other planets?
If you had a superpower, who would you tell, or would you keep it a secret?
What famous person would you pick to have as a best friend?
If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would buy?
What's your favourite item of clothing?
What's an unpopular opinion you have?
If you were a food, what food do you think you'd be?
What food do you think your family members would be?
What's the most interesting thing you heard this week?
What's your favourite day of the week and why?
What's your favourite month of the year and why?
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Exploring Emotions with Children
These questions are best suited for pre-school and primary school aged children.
What 3 things make you happy?
Share a story about a time when you felt happy recently?
What helps you to feel better when you are sad?
What would you do if your friend was sad?
What does your body feel like when you are worried?
What is something that scares you?
How do you know when someone in your family is upset?
How would someone else know that you are upset?
When you feel sad, what does you body feel like?
How do you act when you feel angry?
What is something you like to do to feel calm?
How does your body feel when you are worn-out or tired?
What is something I say or do that makes you feel happy?
What is something I say or do that you don't like so much?
What is something you wish I would say or do more often?
Do you like it most when I give you a hug, or give you a compliment?
Do you prefer to do something fun together, or get a small surprise?
What is something we do together that makes you feel happy?
What makes you feel excited?
Parenting and Family Values
These questions are designed for you and your partner to work through together, to help you explore your ideas, values and goals, and how you show up as parents and partners.
Do you think parenting skills differ for men and women? How?
What do you think makes a good parent? List the traits and qualities.
Do you think we each have these qualities?
What is one quality I have that you would like to see in our children?
What are 3 values you would like to teach our children?
How do you model those values?
What goals do you have for our family?
Where do you see us in the next 5-10 years?
What is one thing you find hard or struggle with most when it comes to parenting?
How can I support you in this area?
Are there any little things I do for you and our family that you appreciate?
What is one thing I can do today to help you feel more appreciated?
Are you happy with the amount of time we spend together as a family? Why or why not?
Are you happy with the amount of quality time we spend together as a couple? Why or why not?
How are we balancing time together as a family/couple, vs personal time to recharge?
What rituals could we put in place to take care of ourselves and prioritise our relationship?
What is one thing you have learnt from me as a parent?
How have I helped you to be a better parent?
Navigating Conflict and Differences
Think about how you and your partner handle differences in your parenting, how you navigate differences, and how you manage conflict within your family. These questions are designed for you and your partner to work through together, but they can be just as helpful to reflect on alone.
When it comes to parenting, what do you think are the biggest differences between us?
What do we do when we don't agree on something big or important?
When we are on different pages about how to handle things, are you confident in our ability to compromise and find a solution that works for everyone?
Is there anything you wouldn't want compromise on when it comes to parenting? If yes, why?
Do you feel comfortable communicating with me, even when we have a difference in opinion? What could I do to help you feel more comfortable?
Are you happy with how we navigate disagreements? How do you think we can improve?
Are you happy with how we handle decision making in our family? Is there anything you think we need to work on? For example, collaboration, compromise, etc.
Are you happy with how we handle finances within our family? Is there anything you would like to change or do differently?
What do you see as your main role/s when it comes to parenting, family, and household management?
What do you see as my main role/s?
How do you feel about our division of labour when it comes to parenting?
How do you feel about our division of labour when it comes to household responsibilities?
What do you think of when you hear the term "mental load"?
When considering the mental load of parenting and household responsibilities, do you feel this is shared equally between us?
Are you happy with our division of labour and how we navigate the mental load? In your opinion, does anything need to change here?
How are our beliefs and ideas around parenting roles and responsibilities similar?
How are they different?
If we were to switch roles/responsibilities, what is something you might struggle with?
What does discipline mean to you? When you hear the word "discipline", what comes to mind?
Do you feel we are on the same page when it comes to discipline?
How important is it you to establish boundaries with extended family? What might those boundaries look and sound like?