You get one sentence back, and it is usually "good". That is not a child hiding things from you — it is a question they cannot answer yet.
Twenty-four printable cards, one question each, to cut out and keep in the car door. Pull one at random on the way home.
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The first thing out of your mouth should not be a question at all. A child coming out of a long day needs to be met before they are interviewed. "I am so happy to see you." Then nothing. Let them lead for a minute.
Most pickup conversations fail in the first ten seconds, because we open with an audit.
"How was your day" asks for a summary. Small children do not summarise. Ask instead about a specific slice:
Notice that each has a findable answer. That is the only quality that matters.
Sometimes the honest report is that they are tired and do not want to talk. Accepting that without a follow-up question is what makes them willing to talk tomorrow. The goal is not information tonight; it is a child who expects that talking to you is easy.
Because "what did you do today" asks for a summary, and summarising is a skill that arrives years later. Ask about one findable moment instead and the same child will talk for five minutes.
Try not to. A child who hears their day reported over their head learns that the real conversation happens without them. Ask the teacher separately if you need to.
That is normal and it is useful. Follow it. A child who is telling you about one person every day is telling you what mattered.
Part of our guide to Daycare & pickup.