Interview with My Children

By Kate Riley April 11, 2012

I like to talk to my kids just before they go to bed, I get the best bits of information when they’re snuggled under the covers.  I saw a great idea for a conversation starter on Pinterest and decided to ask them the same questions the other night before bed.

I love the frankness of children, they don’t hesitate to tell you their heart’s desires.  Here are a few of their answers and all I can say is I think my daughter’s perfect day is spot on.

 

8 year old daughter

6 year old son

When are you (or have you been) most afraid? When my dog died. I am never afraid.
What was the happiest day of your life? The day I got my kitten Coconut. When I got my Lego Millennium Falcon.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? I want there to be no bad guys and no pit bulls. I wish Legoland was closer.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I wish I was taller. I wish I was taller and bigger and stronger.
What is the one thing you could not live without? My kitten. My Legos and my family.

girl and kitten

.

What is your favorite movie? Anything with Bugs Bunny. Star Wars and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
What cartoon character would you most like to be? Tweety Bird Scooby Doo
What is the worst thing about being 8 (or 6) years old? I don’t like to wake up early for school. Nothing.
What is the best thing about being 8 (or 6) years old? A lot of birthday parties with my friends. Doing anything I want at kindergarten
Describe your perfect day. Donuts for breakfast, swimming with my friends at the pool all day, and a yummy dinner with cookies for dessert. Recess all day, then playing with my sister, then sleeping with my Mom.
What job would you like to have when you grow up? I think I will be an artist and a designer. I will build tall buildings.
Who are your best friends and why? Ava and Mikah and Stella because they are nice and they share and they are so much fun. Noah because he builds Legos with me and Jack because he let’s me play his Mario Brothers game. And my sister because she’s funny.

boy with legos

 

I also pinned this list of questions too, these ones were questions about what kids think of their Moms.  So I asked mine too.  Some of their answers really made me laugh, others gave me great comfort.

 

8 year old daughter

6 year old son

What does Mom always say to you? I’ll be right there. I love you.
What makes Mom happy? Kisses. Me.
What makes Mom sad? When we opened presents on Christmas morning without her. Mean people.
How does Mom make you laugh? She tickles me. She makes crazy faces.
What was Mom like as a child? She was a smart in school. She drank milk.
How old is Mom? 38 38
How tall is Mom? 5 feet I think. As tall as a shelf and Dad is as tall as a door.
What is Mom’s favorite thing to do? Read magazines with me. Family movie night.
What does Mom do when you’re not around? She cries when I’m gone. She works on her computer.
What is Mom really good at? Painting and sewing things. Being nice.
What is Mom really bad at? She’s not good at drawing, I am better. Building models, Dad is better.
What does Mom do for her job? She works on her computer. She paints things.
What is Mom’s favorite food? Yucky hummus. I think it’s soup.
If Mom was a cartoon character, who would she be? Yosemite Sam. Sandy the Squirrel (from Sponge Bob.)
How are you and Mom the same? We have the same eyes. We have the same teeth.
How are you and Mom different? We have different hair. My eyes are darker brown.
How do you know your Mom loves you? She kisses me and tells me. I just know it.
Where is Mom’s favorite place to go? Home. Home.

 

kate and kids

 

It’s an enlightening thing, interviewing your children, they will always remind you of the sweetness of youth and of the things that are most important.  I highly recommend taking a moment to interview a child, there is always something to learn about yourself that only they seem to know.

 

..

141 comments

  1. That last answer from them both gave me goosebumps. You sound like a wonderful mom.

  2. precious!! my favorite are how tall is mom? and how do you know she loves you! sounds like a home full of love…what sweet memories you are making for your children : ) thanks for sharing!

  3. I was really impressed that your son included his sister in his favorite things! What a great idea, loved some of their answers, lol.

  4. I so enjoyed reading that, thank you so much for sharing it with us! It would be great to interview them several times a year to see if/how their answers change.

    • Hi Tiffany, like I said before, she overheard a bad story in the news so that was her answer that day. We’ve educated her that there are well trained pit bulls, in fact a friend of ours has a breed which is the sweetest dog in the world.

  5. That is too sweet. I think I may have to do the same thing. My kids are 22, 20, 17 and 10. It would be interesting to see how the perspectives change from 10 to 17… a scary thought ;)

    Have a great day Kate!

  6. I’m totally doing this! The lego loving boy’s answers are hilarious! I wish Legoland was closer too – love that place! I feel so blessed to have one of each – girl and boy. It’s amazing how different their minds work and my boy makes me understand my hub in a whole new way. Love that pic of you with them – it needs a frame! SO very sweet!

  7. i’ve been doing a series of guest posts where each guest interviews their child or children. it’s been so much fun to see the different answers from kids of all ages. i am going to have do a part 2 with my littles with the questions about mom. so fun. your interviews are so sweet. i love that your son thinks there’s nothing bad about being 6.

  8. That was so cute! your children are beautiful I will do this with my grandaughter thank you for all of your aming gifts.

  9. awww cute; I hope you will tell your daughter that it’s not the pit bulls’ fault but the bad owners who abuse, breed and don’t control them /off my soapbox now :)

  10. oh this is priceless!! thank you for sharing this! Such precious answers- and I love how there is actually a similarity between Yosemite Sam & Sandy -they are both go getters and make things happen!

  11. what a great thing to do! My daughters preschool did something similar and the answers were hilarious! I will have to try to this version with my 2 girls, 4.5 and 8 )

  12. this is freaking incredible!!!!! you sound soooo wonderful. i’ve learned more about you from this one post than i ever did reading your blog over the years. this is very touching!!

    i would like to do the same thing with my kids, but i’d be afraid of their answers!!!

    thanks for this post

    angie

    • Hi Michelle, whenever Looney Tunes cartoons are on, I’ll always sit down for the Yosemite Sam v. Bugs Bunny ones. They crack me up so I guess she associates my affection for Yosemite Sam with me? LOL. :)
      Kate

  13. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. It’s amazing to remember what kids think. I want to steal some of those thoughts for myself.

  14. Sweet post, I need to take the time to do this with my kids. I had to laugh at how differently boys and girls think. My boys would totally think of Legos and Spongebob as some of their most important things.

  15. This is so fun! I don’t have kids, but it seems like a wonderful thing to do with them & get into their heads a little bit. So cute!

  16. I hope you save this forever. What sweet answers — I can tell your kids have a wonderful life and feel very loved.

  17. How adorable!! Thanks for the idea! My almost 2 year old may be too young but I’m looking forward to the interesting answers my 10 year will have!

  18. this is so sweet! i love the second set- adorable! and i think our sons would get along… i did an interview with my kids for another blogger in feb and here is a question with sawyer’s answer:
    what would you do with $100?
    S: i would send it for like the lego man. he puts it in his cash.

    basically he wants to just donate to lego. :) and most of his other answers were star wars related. and i think he shares the same happiest moment! :)

  19. This is an amazing idea! Such a beautiful thing for you and for them to look back on in the future! Your children are too sweet. Love the difference in answers between the boy and the girl.

  20. I loved reading this! I will definitely try it on my own kids, but they’re a little older so we’ll see! ;)
    My favorite parts were that your son thinks his sister is funny! That is rare considering how much my boys fight & argue!
    I also like the fact that your daughter pictures you home crying all day while she’s gone. :)
    Thanks for sharing!

  21. Donuts for breakfast, swimming with my friends at the pool all day, and a yummy dinner with cookies for dessert.

    My perfect day too!! Your kids are precious and you are a great mom!!!

  22. The kitty wrapped in a blanket totally reminded me of being a kid. I know I did the same thing many times. Love it.

  23. This is so sweet! you have a beautiful family :)

    I was really sad to see that your daughter wishes there were no pit bulls in the world :( I have no children myself so my dog is my baby and she’s a pit. I call her my suggle-bull because she’s the most loving dog I’ve ever had. It breaks my heart when I hear that people think she shouldn’t exisit just because of her breed. I’ve been very proactive to teach people that its not the breed thats dangerous its irresponsible and neglectful owners that are dangerous and any breed of dog can do harm if they are not loved.

    I wish we weren’t on opposite ends of the country I would love to have you and your daughter over for a tea-party, my pup loves to dress up and eat buscuits like a proper little girl (my god-daughters doing).

    I hope I don’t sound negative! I love your blog and respect all you do and I know your daughter just wants everyone to live in a happy and safe world which is very selfless of her btw :)

    If you have the time you should check out this blog about a couple of silly pitties: http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/2012/04/bridging-gaps-one-pit-bull-at-time.html

  24. Great post! Truly adorable. However, I’m sorry to hear your daughter imagines a world without pit bulls. :( My ‘daughter’, our 5 year old pit bull, is a therapy dog to disabled children…

    • Hi K, yes she overheard one of the “bad” stories about pit bulls and somehow has it in her head that they’re bad for some reason. I know of many that are not, but that’s her honesty coming through!
      Kate

  25. Kate, This is SO sweet!!! Your son reminds me so much of mine at the age of six! And my favorite answer…when asked how he knows if you love him, he says, “I just know”!!! Well done, Mom! Oh, and love that they know your favorite place is home…mine too :)

  26. Oh my gosh, I just loved this. Some are so moving! It’s clear that your children know how much you love them, and that’s the most important thing. My favorite was “you’re as tall as a shelf, and dad’s as tall as a door”. You should save these to show them when they’re older!

  27. I agree with Ashley.

    I have a pit-bull puppy and he is world’s cutest and sweetest. I couldn’t imagine life without him. I have several nieces and nephews (ranging from 3-10) and they adore and love Bailey; as does he them.

    I feel sorry for your daughter.

  28. Love it! I chuckle every time I read something about your son… he is EXACTLY like my 5 yr old son- it’s all about Legos and Star Wars:)

  29. Wonderful! I had a teacher turn the tables on the parents when my daughter was in 7th grade. She asked us to write a one page description of our child. I spent a couple of hours working on the assignment and ended up with a document that is very precious to me. It was a snapshot, through my eyes, of the beautiful and wondrous girl at age 11… Just before the teenage years slam dunked the remaining naivete.

  30. That was so sweet! Thanks for sharing. I love that your daughter is under the impression that you cry when she isn’t around, hilarious. I also really love that what you always say is “I’ll be right there”. Oh that is classic. I think I will have to try this out and see how it goes!

    Jenny

  31. I absolutely love this! Thanks for caring Kate. My favoriite part is how much oyur children seem to know you love them. It is awesome! :) Have a wonderful day.

  32. So sweet…thanks for sharing. I rember those precious moments tucking my boys in to bed every night and talking about their day…and life in general. It was my favorite part of my day. Now they stay up later than me…and usually come in to tuck me in – Ha! – the tables are turning already!

  33. This is so insightful Kate..That first set really shows how girls and boys think differently..It is so sweet that your son loves being with his sister so much..And their answers to questions about you..I think they know you pretty well Kate and they realize just how much they are loved..The last answer is truly the best because every kid should be made to feel that..There’s No Place Like Home!!! Hugs

  34. This is very sweet, and definitely a keepsake. Totally doing this!

    I like it when you share these snapshots of family life between DIY projects.
    You are doing a wonderful job mothering and enjoying your children, it shows in your kiddos responses!

    Enjoy,
    Jay

  35. That is super sweet. I will have to try this with my lil guys. It is humbling to see yourself through your kids eyes. The things that are “not that important” are ginormous to them. I love that you are as tall as a shelf and your hubby is as tall as a door. :) Have a great week!

  36. Hi Kate- :) you will cherish this post forever – So sweet. Love the photo of your daughter with her kitten and her response to what Mom always says to you. That made me laugh out loud as my girls would have responded with the same answer.

    Adorable post XO

    My best- Diane

  37. This is so sweet! When my son is older I would love to ask him these questions. It’s so cute to see that your son loves to play with his big sis. I’m expecting #2 later this year and hope my kids will enjoy each other’s company (when they’re not arguing, of course!).

  38. Kate, I apologize, I wasn’t my intention to start anything about pit bulls. Unfortunately we live in a society where its more interesting to hear about pit bull attacks on the news, because let face it, stories about slobbery dog kisses doesn’t generate viewers or ratings. I hope just hope that not only your daughter but other kids don’t grow up to be afraid of the breed as a direct result of the media. Of course, all dogs should be approached with caution and respect but above all love. I’m so happy to hear you are educating her about the breed and exposing her to them.

    btw, I cannot wait to interview my god-daughter! :)

  39. Ah! This is so dang cute! I can’t wait to have kids. I keep looking at my watch, then at my boyfriend and say to him “I’m getting old here!” Kids are the best. Great pic by the way!

  40. so sweet. thanks for sharing. my little guy already answers lots of questions, and today he started saying things he would share with the baby that is coming. he decided the baby would knock on the door, and off he went to answer it. i had to tell him that it would be a while before the baby came (nov) and he would be a big boy then. too fun.

  41. I absolutely love this post. So sweet and so true! I got the biggest laugh from your sons response to how tall is Mom? So clever and amazing that a young child learns to associate things like that! Thanks for sharing. :)

  42. What a sweet post. My favorite is mom’s favorite place, Home. I love that. They both answered the same, I know your home is beautiful to look at and must be full of heart too.

  43. I Love this post. Love that your children just know you love them and that they know you love home.
    That pretty much says it all.

  44. This is so great! My oldest two are 9 and 7–I’m going to ask them these questions too. It is refreshing to view life through the eyes of a child!

  45. Thank you so much for sharing this! I am going to use a version of this on a long trip I have planned with my boys, who are 11 and 13. Somehow I don’t think all the answers will be as warm and fuzzy as your children’s! But, that aside, it should launch some interesting discussions!

  46. Those are precious! Your son has a lot of confidence…awesome.
    Thanks for sharing!

  47. I almost cried reading this and I don’t even have children! This is so cute! What a fantastic idea to interview your kids!

  48. What a sweet idea! I can’t wait till E is of an age where we can do this. It would be fun to do this every birthday and see how the answers change.

    Thanks for sharing!

  49. These are great questions, and I love the spirit of your kids’ answers. They’re great answers!!! It’s always so interesting as adults the spin we put on what we think their answers will be… my now husband was going through divorce and asked his teenage son if there was anything stressing him out – thinking that naturally the answer would be all about the divorce. The actual answer, ‘yah, math.’

    Thanks for sharing!

  50. I’m officically in tears! This was so dear & so sweet! I’m praying to have the title of “Mom” one day soon. We’re going thru our first cycle of IVF. Thanks for sharing Kate!

  51. Love this! I just asked my 4 year-old son a few questions – he was smiling as he was telling me how we are the same! I am going to print these out so my husband and I can both ask a few more questions.

  52. This is excellent . . . I have a 17 and 18 year old graduating this year. I am doing memory books and visual, kind of like power point, of their lives. I am going to adapt this somewhat and interview them this weekend when we are together for a delayed Easter family time and birthday celebration .
    Great idea . . . thanks!

  53. OMG I love this post Kate, makes me long for feetiieeee PJ’s and my kids to be little again, seems like yesterday mine were 8 and 5 :)

    All the best,
    Kathy :)

  54. Thank you for posting this. it’s one of those things we can put in their baby books that will bring years of enjoyment and smiles when read.

  55. So sweet and touching! My little guy is six and really into Legos right now, I’m pretty sure his answers would be very similar. I love seeing the differences in the answers between your boy and girl. Great post!!!

  56. Very cute and inspiring questions also! I loved your sons answers about the Lego’s, my son is the same age and his answers would probably be similar. I’ll have to rattle off a few of those questions tonight (we chat before sleepy time also). Great post!

  57. This was so cute! Your sons answers were so great. He’s very confident! I was so impressed with how he compared you to a shelf and his father to a door. Clever!

    Like others, I was bummed out when I saw your daughter’s answer regarding pit bulls. However, her love for her past dog and kitten really came through. She’s obviously an animal lover (just like myself) and will one day see that pit bulls aren’t all bad.
    We shouldn’t blame the child, but rather, the news for making pit bulls a subject of such evilness. Like you said, you’re informing her that all pit bulls aren’t bad, which is true. Education is key for this issue – for both sides of the stories – and for all ages.

    Either way, I really enjoyed this interview. Quite cute.

  58. Beautiful. I have young children myself and still I cracked up at your kids answers. Thank you for sharing. This is great.

  59. Haha. This was a sweet read and it cracked me up. I definitely would have been able to tell from their answers that your 8 year-old is a girl and your 6 year-old is a boy even if you hadn’t said so. Haha. So fun. And I definitely agree that there are some things about ourselves that only children seem to know and be able to tell us. :)

    • Such nice comments today everyone, I really appreciate them all, thank you! I sometimes hesitate with the sentimental posts, but so glad you all enjoyed it today!
      Kate

  60. Not sure why but this made me sorta weepy, maybe bc it’s so precious. Thanks for sharing!

  61. What a delightful interview with your kids, Kate. I love the honesty and innocence of children’s answers. So fun and sweet. I love your son’s answer asking how tall you are….Adorable! Favorite place to go = home. I love it! You are a good mom, Kate and your kids really look up to you and admire you, not to mention love you to pieces. That all shines through in the interview. Thanks for sharing that with us!

  62. I enjoyed this post so much. I love all the answers…big buildings, kittens and home. Perfect!

  63. This really made me smile. Your children sound so very much like mine, except they are now 14 (girl) and 16 (boy). Enjoy this time because the hormones just do SOMETHING! You should keep the questions and ask them again in a few years and see what the answers are, or maybe not :) Just treasure this time. I look forward to reading what you have to say everyday. I am amazed at your talent. Thank you so much.

  64. Just precious! Makes me ache wishing I had done that when mine were young! They are now 30 and 33. The time just slipped through my fingers. Keep treasuring these moments – they are fleeting.

  65. Thank you for sharing this post. I will be doing this with my little one (now 2,5) when he is a bit older. Great way to share and connect with the kiddos.

  66. I’m glad to see others commented on the pit bull issue as well. It is a child’s honesty coming out, but Kate, I hope you educate her on the truth about pit bulls and not just what the media says. In some of your replies it seems like you were just brushing it off.

  67. Thank you so much for sharing this. It made me cry like a baby. Their is nothing as sweet as the innocence of children. I love the photo of your daughter holding her kitten like a baby. You have a very beautiful family!

  68. LOVE LOVE LOVE this!! Thanks for sharing. I’ll do it with my 8 year old daughter and 6 year old son tonight. ; )

  69. awwww your kids are so adorable! I love your little boy answer, “I wished Legoland was closer” ahahaha!

  70. That is so sweet. One thing is for sure, your children are loved and they know it!!! If I could change one answer, it would be your daughter saying she is afraid of/doesn’t like pit bulls. I wonder why? Hopefully someday she meets a sweet one that will change her perception.

  71. this is too funny because they are so honest and pure, but at the same time so precious…i am going to try and ask my daughter :) Thanks for sharing….

  72. Awww, this melted my heart. Such sweet responses. I had to giggle at the simple differences between a little girl and boy. I have three boys, so I know all answers would most likely be lego or sports related. :)

    xoxo,
    Jen

  73. Dear Kate, Thank you SO much for posting this. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while and just hadn’t taken the time to make it happen but your post inspired me to not wait another day! My favorite answer from my 6 y.o. to the question “If Mom was a cartoon character who would she be?” A: “Mommy the Superhero”. Love it!

  74. Glad to see there were a few other ladies who wanted to put out some pro-pit bull comments too! It’s not easy being an owner to dogs associated with such an awful stigma, but would encourage you and your daughter to look into the breed a bit more, because they can be wonderful dogs! It was weighing a little heavy on my heart yesterday. Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea though, will have to file this away as my youngsters are too young!

  75. Sweet idea. My kids are in their 20s and 30s now, I wonder how they would answer! I should try this with my grandkids. Thanks!

  76. I am one of ten kids so when I was in high school I started doing family photo albums that included a survey about that year. It’s fun to look back at what we said was our favorite movie or who our best friend was that year. Cheers, MGal

  77. Awwww, this was SO sweet, really made my day reading their innocent and beautiful responses. I’m keeping this as a conversation starter with more than just kids.

  78. I was moved to tears while smiling and laughing. On the tough days, you can read this post and know that you can get through anything with these two dolls by your side.

  79. this is the best post ever! 6 yr. old boys are the best! thanks for sharing.

  80. I’m just loving your little boy and his honest answers. My baby is 10 and my oldest is 23 (boo hoo) but both are big Lego fans. Enjoy these days momma!

  81. Sweet. I think I will do this with my kids. The other day I asked my 7 year old what he was thankful for and he said “All Pitbulls”. I read your post about your daughter and pitbulls and was reminded of this. We do fostering for dogs on death row and 99% of the dogs we foster are pitbulls. My son has fallen in love over 50+ times and had to say goodbye…all sweet pitbulls. :)

  82. What a fun thing to do! I don’t have kids (yet), but will totally want to do this someday. Maybe I’ll try it out with my nephew soon. Some of the responses they came up with are hilarious . I like that your daughter thinks you were smart in school and your son thinks you drank milk. I once asked my mom if she ate spaghetti as a kid (I must have thought she was from the pioneer days haha). Also, I’m glad to see how many followers you have who are pro-pittie :) I’m sure your daughter will get a little older and realize you can’t believe everything just because you saw it on the news. It’s lovely to see how much loves her kitty!

  83. I love this post, thank you SO much for sharing it! I smiled all the way through and I can’t wait to ask my daughter these questions :)

  84. I loved this so much, I must have missed it earlier, and am so glad you reposted. Such great kids who have a great mom!

  85. OMG…just read this. My eyes are filled with tears and a smile has made its way across my face. Thanks for sharing your precious children with us. I wish I had done this when my 20 something children were younger. May God continue to bless you and your beautiful family!

  86. Another sad pit bull owner here :( Love your blog. Your kids are precious! I am just 22 and have lost both my parents to illness in the past year. I was living with them and my entire life was uprooted as I took care of both my dieing parents, lost them and then had to suddenly navigate this world all on my own. My sweet pit bull saw me through the grief, and loved me through the dark and through to the other side. He kept me going everyday with his CONSTANT and unconditional (truly) love. If he saw me crying, he would lick away my tears and bring me his favorite teddy bears and toys. I don’t think I would have made it through without him. So, if you can’t tell, my bond with him is very special.. I hope your daughter meets a sweet pit bull someday. They have too much to offer to be thrown away by the world. My dog is soo special and it truly breaks my heart. XOXO

  87. Oh Margaret Im so sorry for your loss. I know what you are going through. My dad died 8 months ago and my grandma who was like my mother died 5 months prior to my dad. I never had a real mom, so I feel like Ive lost both parents too. But Im in my 30’s. My heart goes out to you and its not fair that you had to lose your parents so young in life. Hold on to what your parents taught you, they live on inside you. God bless and thank the lord for your lovely dog, he was meant to be in your life to help you through this hard time.

  88. Kate this is wonderful. I am just reading this post now and will have to share it with my sisters and friends. What a great idea… interviewing our kids!!! My oldest two will get an interview this summer for sure. Thank you for sharing..

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