Three Tips for Parents on How to Have Better Conversations With Children

— -- Parents lead busy lives, so every conversation with the kids counts.

So many of those conversations happen in the car. Lindsay Powers, editorial director of Yahoo Parenting, rode along with “GMA” correspondent Paula Faris and Faris’s children to share some tips and tricks to getting the most out of your conversations with your children.

Powers appeared on “GMA” as part of the “Yahoo Your Day” series -- a collaboration between “Good Morning America” and experts from Yahoo.

Powers observed Faris’s interactions with her children and took notes, then offered these tips:

Tip 1: Ask specific questions, especially of younger children. “When they're in elementary school and are younger, they may not remember specific details. So be sure to ask ‘how was art class?’ ‘How was the field trip?’ ‘How was your friend?’ ‘What happened at lunch?’ ‘Did you eat all your lunch?’ Just really specific things to get them talking,” Powers said.

If the child is very young, it may be best to talk with his or her teacher about the day to get more specific information around which to frame questions, Powers added.

Tip 2: Validate them. “You want to make sure that you feel like you're really interested in what they're saying; it's really important to be present,” Powers said.

Tip 3: Ask follow-up questions.