"How was school?" "Fine."

I've heard that exchange a thousand times and probably used it a good amount, myself. I used to think it meant nothing was wrong.

Now I think "fine" is often a placeholder for a feeling that doesn't have a name yet or "I don't know what you want me to say."

When a young person can say "I'm not angry, I'm disappointed," or "I'm not lazy, I'm overwhelmed," something shifts. The feeling gets smaller, because it finally has edges.

This week, try swapping "How was your day?" for one of these:

"What was the hardest part of today?"
"If today had a weather forecast, what would it be?"
"Was there a moment you felt proud, even a tiny one?"

Then do the hard part: wait. Let the silence do some of the work.

What's a question that has opened a real conversation with a young person in your life? I'd love to collect them in the comments.

#SocialEmotionalLearning #YouthMentalHealth #EmotionalIntelligence #AnchorPoint