Tired of the “Fine. Nothing.” answers?

Does this conversation sound familiar?

You: “How was your day?”
Your teen: “Fine.”
You: “What did you do?”
Your teen: “Nothing.”

And that’s it. They grab a snack, disappear into their room, and you’re left feeling like you don’t really know what’s going on in their world.

If this is happening in your home, you are not alone.

Part of this is just being a teen. But part of it is the kind of questions we ask.

Here are a few that almost always spark more:

• “What’s the most annoying thing about being a teen?”

• “What’s the most boring part of your day?”

• “If you could change one thing about school, what would it be?”

Different questions get different answers.

👉 Instead of “Fine,” you might hear, “Ugh, math is the worst. The teacher talks so fast.”
👉 Instead of silence, you might get, “Actually, something funny happened at lunch today…”
👉 Instead of irritation, you might see a smile, a laugh, or even a moment where they linger a little longer before heading upstairs.

That’s the gold. Those little moments when your teen lets you into their world.

And when they do, your job isn’t to fix or lecture. Just listen. Nod. Say, “That makes sense.”

Because when your teen feels understood, they’ll come back again. And that’s how ordinary afternoons turn into those “Hey Mom, guess what happened today?” moments you’ve been missing.

🧡 Jeanine