Want to connect with your daughter after school? Ashley Hall’s Director of Admission and Enrollment Sara Stephenson, who has 24 years of experience in independent schools and is a mother of two boys, know that back-seat-of-the-car-conversations are key. Here she offers more tried and true tricks for success.

As a parent, what can you do to connect with your daughter, get the information and feedback that you seek, and still give her that developmentally appropriate space that she needs after a busy school day? A general question about the whole day does not provide enough concrete information filters for most girls. Prompting questions that ask your daughter to think more critically about her day are likely to produce more thoughtful and spontaneous responses. Here are twelve questions that you can keep at the back of your mind as alternatives to “How was your day?”

1. Did you try anything new today?

2. How were you kind today?

3. If you could change one thing about your day, what would it be? Why?

4. Who was your hero today?

5. Tell me something that surprised you today.

6. Who made you laugh today? Why?

7. What or who inspired you today?

8. What part of today will you keep in your memory for a long time?

9. Did you have a chance to be brave today?

10. What are you looking forward to about school tomorrow?

11. Did you ask any good questions today? What were they?

12. If your day was a color, what color would it be? Why?