Happy Wednesday,

Only 29 days until we have a 1 year old. Am I reading that right? The last 11 months have flown by. My wife is beginning to prep for our daughter’s first birthday party and we’ll have family flying into town. She tells me one of the trickiest parts of the planning process has simply been choosing the time of the party. It’s something you don’t really think about before having kids, but nap schedules are tough!

If you’ve already thrown a first birthday party, what time of day did you go with? Did that seem to work for you and the attendees?

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One Big Idea

A better way to ask your young kids about their day

One of the most common questions we ask our kids is "how was your day?", and our expectation is that they respond with vivid details about their entire day. Yet, we're often met with silence or a single word (I think my most common response to my parents was ‘good’). It's not that our kids are holding back; rather, the question is too grand for their young minds to break down. Young children view their experiences as a collection of moments, not yet ordered in the linear fashion adults understand. By expecting them to condense a day's worth of events into a neat summary, we're asking them to navigate a maze that their developing brains aren't yet equipped to handle. This isn't a refusal to share; it's a sign that our approach to dialogue with children requires a thoughtful revamp.

The concept of time is abstract for children. Asking them about their "day" is like asking them to grasp a cloud — it's there, but it's not something they can hold. Cognitive psychologists have found that children's perception of time is tied to the richness of their experiences rather than the clock. When a child recounts their day, they're dipping into a bucket of moments, each vivid and unsorted. Expecting a chronological narrative from a kindergartner is similar to searching for a story in a mosaic of colored glass. It's all there, but the pattern is not yet clear.

Takeaway: this conversation with your child can be enriched with a few key strategies, so here are three takeaway points to enhance your daily dialogue

• Tailor Your Questions: Instead of the broad "How was your day?", try specific, moment-focused questions like, "what was the funniest thing that happened today?" or "tell me about what you drew in art class." This narrows their focus and makes the task of recalling easier.

• Share Your Experiences: Model the behavior you wish to see. Share stories from your day to demonstrate storytelling and memory recall. This might spark a connection with something in their own "bucket" of moments.

• Patience is Key: Allow children to unwind after school before bombarding them with questions. Use meal times as a shared family moment to discuss the day, offering a comfortable space for everyone to add to the conversation.

Trending Stories & Insights

• The November 7th elections have come and gone and there are a few notable victories. First and foremost, the people of Ohio voted to enshrine abortion access in the state’s constitution in a huge win for reproductive rights. Also, at the time of writing the people of Texas have voted to authorize a property tax exemption for childcare centers

• I hate it here: becoming a full-time creator has emerged as one of the most popular career goals among children in America and around the globe. Now camps teaching kids to become YouTubers are popping up around the country

• Don’t do this: A recent study found that one in 50 U.S. children fall victim to identity theft every year—with 73% of victims being targeted by someone they know personally. Turns out that person often times might be a parent

Tip of the Day

• Norlanders are highly sought after and professionally trained nannies. They also happen to wear uniforms similar to that of Mary Poppins. Here are their top tips for parents on sleep, tablet time, saying no, and more

Here’s a dad joke

Why did the girl toss a clock out the window?

Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer!

Time(out) for Memes