Communication is vital as you encourage
your children to converse and share their
thoughts with you. If your score isn’t as
high as you’d like, perhaps this will serve
as a helpful reminder to listen more often
to your child, to ask about their opinions,
feelings and sentiments on a variety of
topics, and to be more observant of their
actions, habits and behaviours.
Pat Kozyra is the author of
Tips and Tidbits for Parents
and Teachers: Celebrating
50 Years in the Classroom
and Sharing What I Have
Learned.
S
ometimes we don’t know as much
as we think we do about our
children. I can recall all too well a
time I learned something about
my own teenage daughter from her
best friend’s mother – I felt embarrassed
and sad that I was so out of the loop! We
mums so often place heaps of guilt on
ourselves, and this was just one more of
those times for me.
If you’re wondering if you’re a bit
out of touch too, try this fun quiz by Judi
Bailey. Write down your answers and then
have your child help you score it.
1. Who is your child’s best friend?
2. What colour would he/she like his/her
bedroom to be?
3. Who is your child’s greatest hero?
4. What embarrasses him/her the most?
5. What is his/her greatest fear?
6. In gym class, would your child rather
play basketball, do exercises or run
relays?
7. What is your child’s favourite kind of
music?
8. What person outside of the family has
the most influence on your child’s life?
9. What are your child’s least favourite
subjects at school?
10. What accomplishment is your child
the most proud of?
11. What is your child’s biggest complaint
about the family?
12. What is your child’s favourite TV show?
13. What sport does your child enjoy the
most?
14. If you could buy your child anything in
the world, what would be his/her first
choice?
15. Who is your child’s favourite teacher?
16. What makes your child angry?
17. Does your child feel liked by the
children at school?
18. What would your child like to be
when he/she grows up?
19. What has been the biggest
disappointment in your child’s life?
20. Does your child feel too small or too
big for his/her age?
21. What gift does your child cherish the
most?
22. What would your child’s choice be for
a holiday: a camping trip, a visit to a
big city or a boat trip?
23. Which of these chores does your
child dislike the most: drying dishes,
cleaning his/her bedroom or taking
out the rubbish?
24. Which non-school book has your
child most recently read?
25. What is your child’s favourite family
occasion?
26. What food does your child most
dislike/like?
27. When does your child prefer to do
homework: right after school, after
supper, before bed or in the morning?
28. What is your child’s nickname at
school?
29. Which would your child prefer to have
as a pet: a bird, cat, dog or fish?
30. What is your child’s most prized
possession?
How well do you
know your child?
asks
Pat Kozyra.
Getting to
know
YOU
Scoring:
Give yourself one point for each
answer your child confirms is correct.
25 – 30 correct:
You have excellent observation and
listening skills and are well aware of
the likes and needs of your child.
14 – 24 correct:
You know quite a bit about your
child, but could improve your score.
0 – 13 correct:
You and your child have not been
communicating as effectively as you
could.
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