The Waiting Game

When Phoebe and Cooper get home from school I say something like, "Hi! How was your day? Tell me about it." And then they do. They give me details and tell me about things their friends said and did and provide a nice glimpse into their day.

When I ask Peter about his day he shuts down. He says, "Fine. I don't know." This started during sixth grade. And it was frustrating. There was this huge part of his day that I knew nothing about and he had no plans to clue me in. I thought about how I could get him to talk to me. I prayed about what I could do differently. I researched what other parents have done in similar situations.

Good news, I found something that works.

Now when Peter gets home, I don't ask him anything.  I say hi, welcome him home, but that's it. At first I was anxious that I would never learn about anything that went on at school, that without my prompting he would just stop telling me stuff.

But then, after a few days, he started talking. And as the months have gone on, he's told me more and more. There are days that I really want to ask what happened at school, but I take a deep breath and wait. Sometimes I need to wait longer than others, but it still works.

Patience pays.