Busy Philipps Uses *This* Conversation Starter When She Wants Her Kids to Spill About Their School Day

You love your preteen the most, but getting them to open up about everything that went down during the school day can be...a challenge. That's why when we caught up with actress (and cool mom) Busy Philipps at a launch event for Tropicana Kids, we asked her to share her secret for getting her daughters Birdie, 10, and Cricket, 5, to spill the beans after school.

Her tactic: "Nowadays, schools make it great for parents by sending out an email blast that lets you know what your kids have been doing all day," Philipps says. "For example, the school that my kids go to sends an email with an 'Ask Me About' section that highlights a few things they learned. Like, 'Ask me about...The Great Wall of China' or 'Ask me about...Little House on the Prairie.' It's so helpful because I know that if we ever get to a place where Birdie isn't being open or forthright about her day, I can simply reference that email and say: 'I read that you were talking about X. What did you think about that?'"

Of course, Philipps is the first to acknowledge that one of her kids may not be so quick to reply. "There's a chance that Birdie might respond and say that she's not interested in talking to me. She does *not* think I'm cool. Part of the problem is that I try to tell her all the time how cool I am. My little one thinks I'm the coolest, but Birdie currently finds me to be truly horrifying."

Busy, we've been there. Also, trying this genius after-school conversation starter stat.

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