Now – I don’t necessarily think there is anything pernicious about asking your children “Did you have fun?” at the end of the day.
As a parent, you want your kids to have good days. Right? Right.
The days can be monotonous. The days can be long. And the days can often be forgetful. I mean, if you are not having a little fun in your childhood, something is wrong.
But I do think we often put unnecessary expectations on our little ones.
Maybe this is just a reminder to ease of the gas a little.
It’s great to have good days.
But we all have a lot of bad days too – and that’s ok.
Caution: One common parental inquiry that seems to be experienced as a pressure is “Did you have fun today?” What a demand to make upon a child! Not only did he have to go to the party (school, play, camp, dance) but the expectation is that he should enjoy himself. If he didn’t, he has his own disappointment to cope with plus that of his parents. He feels he’s let them down by not having a good time.
-Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk (Amazon)