There’s something special about the connection between a grandparent and a grandchild. While this bond goes deeper than words, conversation is a great way to get to know your grandkid and help keep that connection strong.
But getting a conversation started, or keeping one going, isn’t always easy. Maybe your grandchild is on the shy side, you haven’t seen one another in a while or you’re connecting on a video call instead of in person.
A juicy question — the kind that leads them to see something in a new light, or inspires them to tell a story — can get a conversation started, or get it rolling again if you hit a lull.
“The point of asking questions should be to get to know your grandchildren better,” DeeDee Moore, a grandmother who blogs at More Than Grand, told HuffPost.
Asking kids to elaborate with follow-up questions and open-ended prompts like “What makes you say that?” are also a good way to keep kids talking.
“If you ask what their favorite color is, ask why they like it or how that color makes them feel,” Moore suggested.
Part of the joy of asking kids questions is the surprise that their answers may bring, leading your conversation to take an unexpected turn.
“When I asked my four-year-old granddaughter if she had talked to any of her friends at school today, she initially said no,” Moore recounted. “But then she explained, ‘I just meowed because I was a kitty.’ Instead of finding out more about her school day, we ended up having a conversation about how animals talk.”
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