Let’s face it: teens and parents can go a long span of time with no meaningful conversation. Sometimes this is intentional, but it’s usually unintentional. Life gets busy and the extent of conversation is logistics (pick up times, drop off times) and instructions (pick up your room, take out the trash). So, use this exercise, and the occasion of Father’s Day, to help teens break the ice by diving into some conversation that has a little more depth.
You can share this blog post as is or download and share a PDF version here.
The questions below are simply intended to spark conversation between a teen and a dad (or a mom, too!).
Ideas for Use:
- Choose one a day for the next 10 days.
- Take a walk and ask the questions as you walk.
- Ask the questions at a meal time.
- Ask a question at breakfast and have your dad answer it at supper.
10 Questions for Dad:
- What was the hardest thing you had to face when you were my age?
- What’s your earliest memory about God?
- Looking back, what would you tell your 16-yea- old self?
- What was your favorite way to spend free time when you were my age?
- What’s the first world event you remember being aware of or the first world event that affected your thinking?
- Outside of family, who had the biggest impact on you as a teenager?
- What’s one parenting skill or trait that you’d like to improve?
- What’s the hardest you’ve ever cried?
- What’s the hardest you’ve ever laughed?
- What high school teacher (or coach, or band instructor, or play director, etc.) taught you the most?