Every parent has been on the receiving end of a one-word answer. You ask your kid how their day was, and they generously offer that it was “fine,” “good,” or “OK.” It probably triggers your own single-word reaction, even if you don’t say it out loud: “Ugh.”

“As parents, we’re desperate for information,” says Stevi Pucket-Perez, a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Health in Dallas. “We want to know what our kids have been doing, what’s happening—we want in on their lives.”

There are ways to increase the likelihood of more meaningful conversations. For starters, move away from the idea that your kid will be ready to talk right after school, and instead focus on low-stakes, positive interactions. When your kid walks through the door, the first thing out of your mouth shouldn’t be a quest

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