Why we should wait a while before asking, "How was your day?"

"How was your day?"

This is a standard question to ask when you see your child at the end of their school day. It will be the question you have wanted the answer to since the moment they left the house, or you dropped them at school.

However, asking it might not get you an accurate answer. It might cause your child enormous distress. This response may not be representative of the day that they have had, it could simply be a sign that they have reached their capacity and need time to decompress and regulate before being able to accurately communicate the events of the day.

Whilst it can seem like a question you need to know the answer to immediately, waiting for a little bit longer can be very beneficial for everyone. Your child will have had time to regulate, and you will get a more accurate response helping you to judge how the school day really went.