20 Questions to Ask Your Children

When do you make time to sit and ask your children questions?  Questions other than how was your day at school or what do you want for tea? Asking questions is such an important part of daily conversation and sometimes can give you a real insight into what is going on inside their heads.  It might also surprise you and or make you chuckle.

But of course, you do have to find the right questions. Shepherds Friendly have produced a 20 Questions to Ask Your Children worksheet which gives you a range of questions on different topics to ask your child.  I did it with my seven-year-old daughter and in order to avoid it feeling like the Spanish inquisition, I made it into a bit of a game where I was “interviewing” her with a pretend microphone and I had to guess what her answers would be.

I did manage to guess a few of them but we had a really good conversation about some of the questions and we both really enjoyed it.  Recording it here is nice as I can look back at it and maybe even do it again in a years time to see how her answers have changed.

What is your favourite colour?

“White because I like things blank.”

I did not guess this one, for many years pink has been her favourite colour but more recently it has changed to a few different ones.  Now it is white.  Interesting.

Who is your best friend?

“My best friend is Millie because we have known each other since I started play group and I have known her the longest.”

Again, I didn’t guess this one.  She has been friends with Millie for a long time but they are not in the same class, so this was another interesting answer and maybe says something about her relationship with her peers.

What is your favourite TV program?

“The Amazing World of Gumball because it is funny and the characters are real people dressed up as animals and different things. I also think how does a fish grow legs?”

I did guess this one although she is a bit of a telly addict, so it could have been a few from her favourite channel, Cartoon Network.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“A PE teacher because you get really fit and you have to learn all these skills to teach and you get to do lots of stuff with children and you learn stuff.”

This one did make me chuckle as she isn’t particularly sporty as yet but she is very determined and quite bossy, so maybe she has the making of being an excellent teacher.

What car do you want to have when you grow up?

“Those ones with a  pop-up roof. When it’s raining and in the winter you can get some cover and in the summer you can get some air and it feels nice.”

Sounds good to me.  When I start getting payback for those endless lifts, a convertible would be the perfect car.

If you could go anywhere in the world on holiday, where would you go?

“USA. I would go back to Orlando, get a cheap hotel and hit the beach with some shades.”

She absolutely loved going to Orlando last summer and even though she enjoyed the Disney experience, she was disappointed that we didn’t have time to go to a beach so if we went back, it would be all about the beaches.

Do you want to get married one day?

“I don’t really mind.”

She has never ever talked about getting married so this didn’t surprise me, but I have no doubt that it will change as she gets older.

How many children would you like?

“One boy and one girl. I don’t want to get too crowded, two children are just enough, thank you.”

That sounds very sensible to me.

What age are you when you become an adult?

“About 20. Probably 18 really but I think around 20.”

What are you good at?

“I’m good at swimming because I am in the top group of my class. I’m also good at maths as I am in the top group. I’m good at playing the piano.”

She really struggled with this one. She is good at lots of things but I did have to give her time to think about it.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

“I would like to be able to fly, have super strength, laser vision, anything.  I would like to have superpowers so that I can be invincible.”

This one was well-timed as she is totally obsessed with DC Super Hero Girls at the moment and Wonder Woman is her idol.

If you had one wish, what would it be?

“To be a superhero, I am a big fan of Wonder Woman and I really like superheroes.”

What do I do as a job?

“My mum’s job is a TA and a teacher who teaches French sometimes.”

What are you scared of?

“Dogs and the dark and cats.”

Her dog phobia is showing no sign of stopping, so she was very quick to answer this one but she did say that this year, she wants to try and overcome her fear, so we are working on that one.

What is your favourite song?

“Shout out to my ex by Little Mix.”

She has really discovered a love of music this year and absolutely loves Little Mix.

What is your favourite class at school?

“Geography because you can learn different languages. Also, you learn different things around the globe.”

Ok not quite what I was expecting and I decided not to go into the language thing but she is fascinated by the globe and where countries are.  Maybe a future world traveller?

What is something that I always say to you?

“I love you.”

This one made me smile, I am sure there are lots of things that I say to her all the time (some not so positive) so this was a nice one.

What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do?

“Go up to a cat.”

She did try and stroke our neighbour’s cat but couldn’t quite manage it.

What makes you happy?

“Listening to songs.”

What makes you sad?

“Losing something. Falling out with friends.”

So that is my seven-year-old daughter in 20 questions.  We really enjoyed doing this and I am going to come back to these in a years time and see how her answers have changed.  If you want to have a go, you can see the questions or download the sheet here.

This activity was produced by Shepherds Friendly Society who offer a range of savings plans including a junior ISAA