This is all well-intentioned, and light conversation has its place. But offering real moments of ‘tuning in’ that allow your child to share their inner world is highly important also. In reality, children rarely head home and approach you about a situation or topic that’s deeply concerning them (if yours do, then keep up the good work!).
It’s our role as parents to create the environment for such topics to be brought into the open and discussed. So how can you do this?
First of all, be aware of the non-verbal clues your child is giving you when they meet you following the end of the school day. Then be ready to respond through your own body language. Using eye contact and meeting your child at their level, plus not being pre-occupied with objects, such as phones, shows you are genuinely open to hearing how they are doing.