A parenting tip from clinical psychologist Dr. Pamela Varady.

How to get kids to talk: Instead of asking "How was your day?" when your child comes home from school, which usually elicits a "fine" or "it was OK," ask him or her to tell you one bad thing and one good thing that happened. It will lead your child into revealing more about her day than a simple one word answer. It's best to ask for the bad first so you end the conversation on a positive note. Just before kids go to sleep is another time when kids are more likely to open up if you gently start a conversation.