Whenever you ask your kids a question, whenever you try to get them to open up, there are two dreaded responses:
Silence
“I don’t know.”
When this keeps happening, first check that you aren’t asking boring questions. Or that you are asking questions that deserve to be asked. They need to be worth the effort and breath you expend.
You don’t ask a high school class what color the sky is and expect anyone to raise their hand. They all know the answer. The question is just pointless.
“How was your day?” is the classic question that usually gets a simple “fine” in response. It’s too vague. There’s nothing concrete to grab onto. Even adults usually answer this question with a monosyllable.
Sometimes, kids just need a primer. They might be timid because they don’t want to get the answer wrong. Or they don’t want to look stupid. Some kids might have answered something wrong in the past because they misunderstood the question, or they are silent because last time, someone giggled. You may have shrugged it off and moved on, but kids can remember that moment for months.
There are two ways to get better answers, as a parent or as a teacher. Both can be fun.