Teresa Hirst

When my children do something wrong, they usually know it is wrong. In the moments that follow the wrong choice, I routinely ask them, “Why did you do such and such?”

I often get  blank looks and no response.

Lately, I’ve been more conscious of how asking the right questions can make all the difference. So, when my daughter was complaining about vacuuming and I asked my “usual” question, a parenting light bulb went on in my head and taught me.

Instead of asking “Why did you . . .”, I should be asking, “What should you or could you be doing instead of such and such?”

What parenting light bulbs are going on in your home?