Light Smoking and Heart Disease and Better Questions To Ask Your Kids-Better Questions for Kids: Moving Beyond "How Was School?"

Amy Morin, PhD, is licensed psychotherapist, clinical social worker, instructor at Northeastern University, author of "13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do." When she asks parents about their go-to question after school, most admit it's "How was school today?"—and most concede, it rarely works. She suggests the use of specific, targeted questions. She adds that that connecting with children requires genuine presence and emotional openness rather than forced activities. She recommends that parents devote ten minutes daily of genuine, device-free attention to show their children they're valued unconditionally.