Good conversations with our children do not just happen. They require intentionality, attention, and the courage to ask questions that may take more than a few seconds to answer.
In this episode of BaseCamp Live, Davies Owens welcomes back Mandi Gerth to explore how the questions we ask shape not only daily conversation, but the long-term relationship we hope to have with our children as adults. Drawing on her experience as a teacher and parent, Mandi explains that a good question opens what she calls an “expectant vacancy.” The challenge is that we must be ready for what fills that space.
Together, they unpack three kinds of questions parents can practice:
Questions that check for understanding and invite narration, not just yes-or-no answers
Follow-up questions that build intellectual habits, encouraging evidence, comparison, and thoughtful reasoning
Big-idea questions that help children contemplate virtue, faith, and moral responsibility at every age
Mandi also offers a wise reminder for parents of teens. Do not be shocked by what they say. Create a home where doubts and hard questions can be voiced safely. Ask follow-ups. Stay present. Keep pointing them toward truth.
🎧 Tune in to hear:
- Why “How was your day?” rarely leads to meaningful connection
- How follow-up questions quietly form habits of wisdom
- Why big conversations are not just for upper school students
- How intentional dialogue today builds relationships that last for decades
This episode is a practical and hopeful reminder that asking better questions is not about performance. It is about love, formation, and walking closely with our children as they grow.
Special Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:
Wisdom and Eloquence
The Herzog Foundation
The Champion Group
Wisephone by Techless
ZipCast
Wilson Hill Academy
Mandi Gerth is a former K-12 teacher in a collaborative model classical Christian school who lives in Dallas, Texas. She currently serves as the Administrative Director of the Cowan Center at the University of Dallas and teachers in the Thales College Classical Christian Education Philosophy Program. She holds a master of humanities degree from the University of Dallas with a concentration in classical education. For over twenty years, she and her husband have labored to build a family culture for their five children that values books, baseball, museums, home-cooked meals, and conversation about ideas. Her first book, Thoroughness & Charm, from CiRCE Press.
Connect with Mandi: