Ways to Connect to Your Child

Quote: “How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give 'em.” ― Shel Silverstein

• Round 1 Warm Up: What’s the silliest face that you can make?
• Question 2: If you had a whole day where you could do anything you wanted with a friend, what would you do?
• Question 3: What do you value most in a friendship?  What qualities make a good friend?
• Question 4: Are you a good friend?  Why or why not?
• Question 5:  Have you ever stopped talking to a friend? Why did you stop talking to them? 
• Question 6:  What do you think is the key to a healthy and long-lasting friendship?
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” – Laini Taylor

• Round 1 Warm Up:  What is something that you hoped for when you were younger that may seem a little silly now?
• Question 2: When was the last time you felt worry or anxiety and how did it make you feel?
• Question 3:  When was the last time you felt hope and how did it make you feel?
• Question 4:  Can your brain focus on hope and worry at the same time or can it only be one?  Why?
• Question 5:  How can you grow more hopeful thoughts?  Is there an activity that often inspires hope?
• Question 6:  What is something that you hope for for someone else in the circle?  
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now
   

Quote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart” ― Helen Keller

• Round 1 Warm Up:  If how you feel right now is a sound, what would your current emotion sound like?
• Question 2:  What movie or book made you feel the biggest emotions?
• Question 3:  Can you read another person's emotions? Can you easily tell how other people are feeling? If so, what would you guess others in this circle are feeling right now?
• Question 4:  Do you find it easy to explain your feelings to another person? If not, why is it difficult?
• Question 5:  Is there a limit to how often we can feel good? In other words, if you feel good now, does that mean you will feel bad at some time later?
• Question 6:  Do humans have control over our emotions?    If so, how?
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen. True belonging never asks us to change who we are.  True belonging requires us to BE who we are.” ― Brene Brown

• Round 1 Warm Up: What makes you laugh?
• Question 2: If you were a color, what color would best represent you and why?
• Question 3: What’s one of the best things about being you?
• Question 4: What was one of the happiest moments of your life?
• Question 5: What do you think about the most often?
• Question 6: What do you wish more people understood about you?
• Wrap Up: What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.”  -Oprah Winfrey

• Round 1 Warm Up: If you were stuck in the woods and all the animals were friendly, which one would you hang out with?
• Question 2: Integrity is doing the right thing, even when it’s hard and even when no one is looking.  Who is a person you know that has integrity?  
• Question 3: When is a time that you had integrity?  How did you feel?
• Question 4: One way to demonstrate integrity is to take responsibility for mistakes before being caught.  Is it hard to admit mistakes?  Is there a time where you showed integrity with a mistake?
• Question 5: If your best friend stole something, how could you demonstrate integrity in that situation? 
• Question 6: Are you proud of all your actions this week?  Did you do your best to have integrity?
• Wrap Up: What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “Deep listening, compassionate listening is not listening with the purpose of analyzing or even uncovering what has happened in the past. You listen first of all in order to give the other person relief, a chance to speak out, to feel that someone finally understands them.  Deep listening is the kind of listening that helps us to keep compassion alive while the other speaks.”  -Thich Nhat Hanh 

• Round 1 Warm Up:  What is a sound that you love hearing or a word that you love to sign?
• Question 2:  On a scale of 1-10, how much can you listen to another person with a completely quiet mind being a 10 and lots of thoughts being a 1?
• Question 3:  When is it hardest to listen to another person?  
• Question 4:  What are ways that you can demonstrate you are truly hearing someone?
• Question 5:  Can you listen to understand someone even when you disagree?  Do you find yourself inwardly criticizing/commenting on what the other person has to say?  
• Question 6:  When is a recent time that you felt truly listened to?  How did that feel?
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage. Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ― Brene Brown

• Round 1 Warm Up:  What is your favorite smell? 
• Question 2:  When you make a mistake, what’s your response?  
• Question 3:  When someone else makes a mistake, what’s your response?  
• Question 4:  What happens if you aren’t perfect or always right?  Do you feel others still love and respect you?
• Question 5:  Can you be brave without being vulnerable?  Why or why not?
• Question 6:  What is a time when someone opened up and was vulnerable to you?  How did that feel?
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”- E. E. Cummings

• Round 1 Warm Up:  If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
• Question 2:  Who’s the funniest person you know?
• Question 3:  Is laughing good for our health? How do you feel after a good belly laugh?
• Question 4:  What is the last thing that made you laugh so hard that you had tears?
• Question 5:  Do you laugh when other people make mistakes or have accidents? Is it funny when someone falls over? When is it okay to laugh at another person, and when is it wrong?
• Question 6:  Let’s say you farted in class.  How would you react?  How do you handle others laughing at something you did?
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “I find that the very things that I get criticized for, which is usually being different and just doing my own thing and just being original, is the very thing that’s making me successful.” – Shania Twain.  “I want to say when I was little, like Maleficent, I was told I was different. And I felt out of place and too loud, too full of fire, never good at sitting still, never good at fitting in.  And then one day I realized something – something I hope you all realize. Different is good. When someone tells you that you are different, smile, and hold your head up and be proud.” – Angelina Jolie

• Round 1 Warm Up:  What superpower would you choose?
• Question 2:  Who's the most interesting person you've ever met? What makes them so interesting?
• Question 3:  Is it harder to be different or to conform to fit in? 
• Question 4:  Can you name three things that makes you different from everyone else in this circle?
• Question 5:  What ways do you think your family is different from others?  How do you feel about that?
• Question 6:  What would the world be like if every single human was exactly like you?  
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “I stopped hating and started just being. My whole life, I had been the most defensive person you'd meet, unable to tolerate any criticism. But now I started listening and being.”― Anthony Kiedis, Scar Tissue

• Round 1 Warm Up:  What if you woke up in the morning and you were 100 feet tall?  What would you do differently that day?
• Question 2:  Defensiveness is being anxious to challenge or avoid criticism. We can be defensive when we don’t want to be wrong.  On a scale of 1-10, how often do you feel defensive?  
• Question 3:  How do you feel when someone else is defensive?
• Question 4:  What makes you feel the most defensive?
• Question 5:  What would it be like if you listened and took responsibility instead of reacting defensively?
• Question 6:  When is a recent time that you were responsible and how did that feel to you?
• Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
• Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.”― Mahatma Gandhi
•    Round 1 Warm Up:  What would it be like if you always could tell if someone was telling a lie?
•    Question 2:  Is it ever okay to tell a lie?  If so, when would it be okay?  For example, should we tell the truth if it hurts someone’s feelings?
•    Question 3:  What does it feel like to tell the truth and how does it feel different than telling a lie?
•    Question 4:  How do you feel if you find out someone lied to you?
•    Question 5:  What is a time that it was hard for you to tell the truth, but you were proud of telling the truth anyway?
•    Question 6:  Have you told the truth in this circle?  Do you think others did?
•    Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
•    Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now

Quote: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." – Michael Jordan
•    Round 1 Warm Up:  What is a real or fictional team that you wish you were on?
•    Question 2:  Do you like being on a team or working with others on a project?  
•    Question 3:  What are some good ways to show teamwork?
•    Question 4:  How important is trust for a team?  How do you grow trust?
•    Question 5:  Are the people in this group a team?  Why or why not?
•    Question 6:  What is your favorite experience being on a team?  What made it so good?
•    Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
•    Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now
 

Quote: “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” ― J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan
•    Round 1 Warm Up:  What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
•    Question 2:  What do you do well?  It’s okay if you aren’t perfect or are still improving, but what is something that you are good at?
•    Question 3:  Are mistakes okay?  Can we learn new things without making mistakes?
•    Question 4:  Sometimes we may think negative thoughts about ourselves.  Is being too critical helpful?  When do you notice these thoughts the most?
•    Question 5:  What is the difference between being self-confident and bragging?
•    Question 6:  When do you feel the most confident?  What does that feel like to you?
•    Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
•    Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now
 

Quote: “If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.” – Dolly Parton
•    Round 1 Warm Up:  Who is the kindest person you know?
•    Question 2:  What does kindness mean to you?
•    Question 3:  How do you show kindness to yourself?
•    Question 4:  Can you think of a time someone showed kindness to you?  How did it make you feel?
•    Question 5:  Are you happy with the way you treat others? Why/why not?
•    Question 6:  What is a recent time that you showed kindness to someone else?  How did it make you feel to be kind?
•    Wrap Up:  What is something someone else shared that stood out to you?
•    Lightning Round: One word describing how you feel now
 

Warm Up Questions

• If you could create a new animal, what would it look like and what special abilities would it have?
• If you could build a house out of anything you wanted, what would it be made of and what would it look like?

Getting Deeper

• Describe a time when you felt most creative. What were you doing? How did you feel when you were in flow of creativity?
• Do you think creativity is a skill that can be learned or is it something you're born with? What are some challenges you face when trying to be creative?
• Do you feel creative when you are on social media? How do you feel?
• Have you ever had a creative idea that you were afraid to share?
• What advice would you give to someone who wants to be more creative?
• Do you think creativity is important for solving problems? How can we use creativity to make the world a better place?
• How is it different when you are being creative with someone else on a project, rather than being creative on your own?
• Challenge: think creatively and try to say a unique sentence that no one has ever spoken before in the history of the world.
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• What is the most impressive thing you can do with your feet?
• If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be and why?

Getting Deeper

Humility is like being a team player, even when you're good at something. It's about knowing you're awesome, but not bragging or acting like you're better than others. It's also about being open to learning and growing, even when you think you already know everything.

• When is a time you could have bragged, but instead were humble?
• Can you be proud of yourself and still be humble?
• Do you think it's important to be humble in friendships? Why or why not?
• Have you ever felt like someone was bragging? How did it make you feel? Why do you think they needed to brag to you?
• Is it okay to ask for help when you need it? Why or why not?
• Can you think of any famous people who are known for being humble? Do you think humility is important for leaders? Why or why not?
• How can being humble help you to be a better learner?
• Do you think humility is a valuable quality to have? Why or why not?
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• If you were a type of weather, what would you be right now and why?
• What would it be like if you only thought positive things about yourself all the time?

Getting Deeper

• What is the first thing you typically say to yourself when you make a mistake? Anything you want to change about that?
• How does your self-talk differ when you're facing a challenge vs. when you're celebrating a success?
• Have you ever noticed a pattern in your self-talk? Are there certain phrases or words you use often?
• How does your self-talk affect how you feel?
• How can you challenge and replace negative thoughts with truthful positive self-talk? Please share an example.
• Do you think your friends and family's self-talk influences yours?
• Who is a role model you admire that has positive self-talk? Do you think self-talk is something you can learn and improve on over time?
• Do you want your friends and family to have positive self-talk?
• How can we use humor and lightheartedness to help us have better self-talk?
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• If animals could speak, which animal would always have to be right and make sure everyone knew it?
• If you could invent a holiday dedicated to being wrong, what would it be called and how would you celebrate it?

Getting Deeper

• Think of someone you really admire. Do you think they make mistakes? How do think they handle it when they get something wrong?
• When have you felt the need to be right in a situation, even if it meant blaming someone else?
• How does it feel when someone blames you for something you didn't do?
• What are some reasons why people might feel the need to always be right?
• Think of a time when you made a mistake and someone kingly helped you learn from it. How did that feel? How can we be more understanding and supportive when others make mistakes?
• Sometimes admitting we were wrong can feel scary and we may be afraid of people losing respect for us. What are some positive consequences of admitting mistakes and taking responsibility?
• What is a time you admitted you were wrong? How did you feel after taking responsibility?
• What are some ways we can show empathy and understanding towards someone who has made a mistake?
• Imagine a world where everyone is comfortable admitting mistakes and learning from them. What would that look like?
• How can we use humor and lightheartedness to help us relax and be more open to admitting mistakes?
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• What is your favorite smell?
• If you were a type of shoe, what kind would you be and what would it say about your personality?

Getting Deeper

Labeling is assigning a specific word or phrase to describe someone or something. Like “loser” or “nerd” or “popular”. This can be based on characteristics, interests, abilities, or other factors. It's important to remember that labels are just words and don't fully capture the complexity of an individual.

• What are some labels that people use to describe themselves and others?
• Have you ever been given a label that you felt didn't accurately represent you? Did you give the label to yourself or did someone else label you? How did it make you feel?
• What are some positive labels you could use to describe yourself?
• There is a saying that goes, “when we see the label, we lose the person”. What do you think this means?
• Is anyone always good or always bad or always nice or always mean?
• How can we challenge and break down harmful labels?
• Have you ever felt pressure to conform to a certain label? How did you handle that situation?
• What are some steps we can take to create a world where everyone feels accepted and valued?
• Can labels for ourselves or others be positive?
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Bonus: Would you get sick of it eventually?)
• If you dream of the most perfect day possible, what would happen on that day?

Getting Deeper

Think of someone who you think is truly awesome. What are they really good at? Do you think they have always been perfect, or do you think they made mistakes and improved over time and practice?

All-or-nothing thinking is a way of thinking that sees things in extremes, like "perfect" or "failure." It leaves no room for the middle ground and can be a negative way of looking at the world. When was a time that you thought felt something was ruined because it wasn’t perfect? Or a time when you thought you would always be bad at something and later got to be good at it?

• What are some situations where you might be more likely to use all-or-nothing thinking? Sports, school, art, etc?
• How does all-or-nothing thinking make you feel? How can we challenge all-or-nothing thinking when we catch ourselves doing it?
• Can you think of a time when you made a mistake and it didn't turn out to be a disaster? How can we celebrate our progress, even if we haven't reached perfection?
• Is it okay to have high standards for ourselves? How can we do that without falling into the all-or-nothing trap?
• What are some things we can do to be more kind and forgiving to ourselves?
• Can you think of a role model who doesn't seem to be perfect, but you still admire them?
• What are some things you're grateful for in your life, even if it's not perfect?
• What are some positive affirmations you can say to yourself when you're feeling down?
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• Pretend you are an actor. What would it look like to throw a 5-second tantrum?
• If you were a superhero and your power was affecting other’s emotions, what emotion would you make each person in this conversation feel right now and why?

Getting Deeper

• We all feel big emotions sometimes. What is a big emotion you’ve felt recently?
• It’s part of life to have big emotions but we still must be careful of our words and actions when we feel them. What are some things you do to manage your big emotions?
• Have you ever felt like you couldn't handle a big emotion? What happened?
• What are some helpful things others can do to support you when you're feeling a big emotion?
• Do you think it's okay to express big emotions? Why or why not?
• What are some healthy ways to express big emotions?
• Do you think talking about big emotions is important? Why or why not?
• Do you think it's okay to ask for help when you're struggling with a big emotion? Why or why not?
• Have you ever tried mindfulness or relaxation techniques to manage big emotions? How did it work for you?
• What are some role models you admire who handle big emotions well? What can you learn from them?
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• What’s the kindest thing you can say to your chair right now?
• If you could invent a new holiday dedicated to kindness, what would you call it and how would you celebrate?

Getting Deeper

• Think of a time you felt really happy for someone else. What happened and how did it make you feel?
• What are some ways you can tell when someone is feeling sad or upset, even if they don't say anything?
• Imagine you're a superhero with the power to feel exactly what other people are feeling. How would you use this power to help others?
• Think of a time you misunderstood someone's feelings. What happened and what did you learn from it?
• What does the word "empathy" mean to you?
• How can you use your body language and tone of voice to show empathy?
• What was a time when you felt lousy and someone showed you empathy? How did that make you feel?
• If you could give one piece of advice to someone who is struggling to understand the feelings of others, what would it be?
• During this conversation, what did someone else say that you thought was really important?

Warm Up Questions

• What's the goofiest laugh you can do?
• What’s song makes you feel so powerful that you can achieve anything?

Getting Deeper

People with a growth mindset believe that talent and intelligence can grow with practice, effort, and experience. Students with a growth mindset embrace challenges. They view obstacles and even mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. They know they can develop their abilities through hard work, persistence, and asking for help when needed. Growth mindset empowers students to take risks and keep trying until they learn and improve.

• Can you share a time when you faced a challenge and used a growth mindset to overcome it?
• What are some "growth mindset" phrases you use to encourage yourself or others?
• Think of something that is hard for you to do. Now think, “I’ll never be able to do that”. Then think, “I can do hard things and one day I’ll be able to do that!” How do those two self-talk statements change how you feel?
• What's the difference between saying "I can't do this" and "I can't do this yet"?
• Have you ever changed your mind about something you thought you were bad at? How did that happen?
• What does it mean to "embrace mistakes" as part of a growth mindset?
• Think of a role model you admire. What qualities of theirs demonstrate a growth mindset?
• How can we reframe negative self-talk into positive affirmations?
• Share a time when you learned something new and felt proud of your progress.
• Imagine your future self looking back. What advice would you give them about embracing challenges and learning?
• During this conversation, what did someone else share that really stood out to you?

Warm Up Questions

• If you could have any superpower for one day, what would it be and what would you do with it?
• If how you feel right now was a color, what color would you be and why?

Getting Deeper

• What are some nonverbal cues that show someone is truly listening or not paying attention to you?
• When you are talking to others, are you fully listening to understand what they are saying, or do you notice that you are just waiting your turn to talk and say what you are thinking?
• When was the last time you truly felt heard and understood by someone?
• Can you think of a time when you listened to someone with an open mind and learned something new?
• What are some strategies for managing your emotions when someone says something you disagree with? What are some things that can make it difficult to listen without getting defensive?
• How can you tell if someone is feeling frustrated or upset while they're talking?
• What are some ways you can show empathy when someone is sharing something difficult?
• Have you ever felt like someone wasn't listening to you? How did that make you feel?
• During this conversation, what did someone else share that really stood out to you?