Back to School + Back to Connection
Thanks Mamaroneck Living for publishing this article in your September 2026 issue!
With the return to routine, September is a great time to build in moments of fun family conversations, which can have big mental health benefits for everyone involved. Use the questions below during the drive/walk to school, at mealtimes, or any other part of your daily routine, to make connection part of your regular schedule.
Get the conversation rolling with these tried-and-true questions, giving everyone present time to answer:
Rose and Thorn: name one good thing and one bad thing that happened during the day. Rose and Thorn works well for almost all ages.
Two Truths and a Lie: say two true things and one false thing that happened during the day. Everyone else guesses which is the lie. Once everyone has guessed, the lie is revealed.
These questions work well because everyone gets a chance to speak and has a dedicated time to be heard. Receiving this attention feels good and boosts self-esteem – for all of us, kids and adults. In addition, these questions elicit funny and interesting stories that might not otherwise be mentioned. Asking “how was your day?” may get some answers, but when a kid wants to win “two truths and a lie,” you are likely to get different details.
Creating a sense of connection and belonging goes a long way for mental health. We all thrive when we feel seen and heard.
If you want to go a step further and layer on additional benefits, try asking these questions:
Gratitude: what is one thing you are grateful for today?
Beauty: what is one beautiful thing you saw today? Everyone gets to define “beauty” however they want. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
Kindness: what is an act of kindness that you witnessed today?
Humor: invite everyone to name something funny that happened in their day.
These four questions do more than just spark conversation, they also shift our attention. It’s very easy to get bogged down in bad news – whether that is the adult news on TV or the kid news on the playground. The four questions above cue you and your family to also see - and savor - the good, the joyful, the inspiring. Interestingly, the questions may be hard to answer when you start. When we aren’t use to looking for beauty, we don’t see it. It’s okay if you need to ask for a week or two before the answers come. Once our brain catches on, the answers will become easier and we may be surprised to see how much good there is. The more we give attention to the good that is already present in their life, the less stressed, the less depressed, and the happier we will feel.
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