One of the most exciting parts of my job is being able to meet fathers all over the country. Yet time and time again, they often say to me, “Do you have any tips that will help me to better communicate with my teen? When I ask them questions, all I get is a grunt, a ‘nothing,’ or an ‘I don’t know.’”
When it comes to building conversation with teenagers, many guys don’t know where to start. Nurturing teen talk consists of asking good questions. This will help get you started. I’ve created this list of conversation starters for you.
- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you travel?
- Who is your best friend?
- What would your perfect day consist of?
- What is your favorite memory of us?
- What qualities are you looking for in a spouse?
- What is your most embarrassing moment?
- If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would you meet?
- What is your dream job?
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- What was your favorite book when you were little?
- What is your earliest memory?
- What is the first thing on your bucket list?
- Would you rather live on the beach or in the mountains?
- If you could star in any movie, what movie would it be?
- What is something you want to learn how to do?
- Who is your hero?
- What accomplishment are you most proud of?
- If you had $100,000, what would you do with it?
- What one thing would you like to do as a family before you graduate high school?
- What accomplishment are you most proud of?
- If you could know one thing about the future, what would it be?
- If you could meet one person from history, who would it be?
- What would you really like to do but don’t because you’re concerned about others’ opinions?
- What do you genuinely appreciate about yourself right now?
- What are some of your unique strengths or talents that make you, you?
- What about you is different from other people your age?
- What words do you hope your friends would use to describe you?
- What feels like the biggest pressure for kids your age right now?
- How do you think you’ve changed the most over the past year?
- When you need to reset after a tough day or just take a break from everything, what feels most refreshing?
Want a closer bond with your teenager? Tune into this All Pro Dad podcast episode for practical strategies to ensure your teen feels seen, heard, and truly understood.
Sound off: What questions work best for you when talking to your teen?
Huddle up with your kids and ask them one of these questions.