Avery is talking about how annoying her little brother is and won’t stop ranting. You want to tell her about something funny your sibling did.
Little siblings really do know how to push buttons. Mine did something ridiculous the other day—want to hear it?
Logan is talking about a movie you haven’t seen, and keeps going into spoilers. You want to shift the topic to a movie you have both seen.
Okay, don’t spoil the ending for me! But speaking of movies, did you ever watch Spider-Man: No Way Home? I’ve been wanting to talk about that one!
Sophia is talking about her family’s big Sunday dinner and listing all the foods. You’d like to mention how your family tried a new restaurant.
That sounds delicious! My family tried this new Mexican place—have you ever been to El Sol?
Ethan is retelling a story about how he tripped on the playground and spilled his lunch tray. You remember hearing the same story earlier in the day and want to shift the conversation.
"Oh yeah, I remember that! It actually reminds me of something similar that happened to me..."
Emma is venting about how stressed she is with math homework, going into lots of detail about every problem. You want to shift the conversation to talk about tomorrow’s science quiz.
Ugh, math can definitely be frustrating. I feel the same way about science—have you studied for the quiz tomorrow yet?
Chris is ranting about how strict his parents are and going on about all the rules at home. You want to bring up a funny thing your dad did over the weekend.
That sounds rough—strict parents can be tough. My dad’s kind of the opposite—he did something hilarious this weekend!
Ethan is complaining about how strict the English teacher is. You’d like to steer the conversation toward how funny the science teacher was today.
Yeah, she definitely sticks to the rules. Our science teacher was the opposite today—he told this weird joke and it actually landed. Want to hear it?
Jackson is going on and on about the robotics club’s last competition. You want to bring up the art club meeting after school.
Sounds like robotics was intense! I have a club meeting today too—art club’s doing a mural project. Want to come check it out?
Natalie is venting about how no one in her group is doing their part for a project. You want to shift the topic to how your group is actually working well together.
That sounds so frustrating—group work can really be a gamble. Ours is actually going okay for once! I think it’s because we all picked our roles early.
Sophia just got a new kitten and won’t stop talking about it. She’s describing everything—from what the kitten eats to how it sleeps. You like animals, but you want to talk about something different.
"That reminds me—my neighbor just got a new puppy! Have you ever had a dog?"
Tyler is excitedly talking about his weekend trip to the lake. He’s describing every little thing—what he ate, what the water was like, even the car ride there. You are listening but want to shift the conversation to your own weekend.
"That reminds me of my weekend! I went to the park, and something funny happened..."
Jason loves talking about bugs and is describing different types of insects. You aren’t very interested but want to keep the conversation going without sounding rude.
"This is interesting, but I was wondering—have you heard about [new topic]?"
Noah is talking nonstop about a disagreement he had with a friend at lunch. You want to talk about something more positive—like a funny moment in gym class.
That sounds really tough. Hopefully you guys work it out. Hey—speaking of lunch, did you see what happened in gym today?
Isaiah is listing every song on his playlist and explaining what each one means to him. You want to share a new artist you just discovered.
You’ve got some great taste—those are solid picks! I just found this new artist I think you’d like too. Want to hear one of their songs?
Alex is talking non-stop about his favorite video game. He is explaining every level in great detail, including which weapons he used and how long it took to beat each boss. You enjoy video games but want to talk about a different game.
"Speaking of games, have you ever played [your favorite game]?"
Madison is explaining her entire science fair project, step by step. You want to talk about how your group is struggling to pick a topic.
Wow, you’ve got yours all figured out! I wish my group was that far along—we’re still deciding on a topic.
Lily is showing you a bunch of TikToks she liked over the weekend. You want to shift the topic to ask her if she saw your post.
That video is hilarious! It reminds me—I posted something funny yesterday too. Did you see it?
Aiden is excitedly talking about every play from his soccer game last night. You want to mention your own experience at your dance practice.
That goal you scored sounds awesome! I had kind of a win too—my dance coach finally taught us that new combo.
Ben is going on about how much he hates the heat and keeps listing reasons why summer is the worst. You want to change the subject to talk about your favorite summer activity.
Yeah, the heat can be brutal. But I actually kind of like summer—I get to go swimming almost every weekend. Do you ever go to the pool?
Cameron is describing everything he had for dinner last night in detail. You want to ask him if he wants to sit with your group at lunch.
That dinner sounds awesome—now I’m starving. Hey, are you sitting with anyone today? You should come join us!
Sienna is showing you every photo of her outfits from the past week. You want to ask her opinion on a jacket you’re thinking about buying.
You’ve got serious style—I love the way you put things together. Can I show you this jacket I’m thinking of getting? I need a second opinion.
The teacher has given instructions for a group project, but Ava is talking about her new puppy instead. The group is getting distracted, and you want to bring the focus back to the assignment.
"Before I forget, we still need to figure out who is writing the first part of our project."
Olivia went to a concert over the weekend and is describing every single song in the setlist. You like music but want to talk about a song you both know.
"That reminds me—have you heard the new song by [artist]?"
Isaac is obsessing over every question he got wrong on a recent test and keeps asking what others got. You want to move on to talking about the next unit instead.
I get that—it’s easy to overthink it. I’m already trying to focus on the next unit so I don’t fall behind again. Have you looked at what we’re doing next?
Noah is talking about last night’s basketball game, giving a play-by-play of everything that happened. You like sports but want to talk about an upcoming school event instead.
"Speaking of sports, did you hear about the upcoming school field day?"
The teacher gives an assignment, but Emma is ignoring the instructions and keeps talking about her new shoes. You need to get back on task but want to redirect the conversation smoothly.
"That sounds cool! But real quick—do you understand what we’re supposed to do for this assignment?"
Mia is describing every episode of her favorite TV show in extreme detail. She’s talking so much that you haven’t had a chance to say anything. You enjoy watching shows but want to bring up a different one.
That makes me think of another show I’ve been watching. Have you seen [your show]?"
Chloe is going into detail about every hour of her upcoming weekend. You want to bring up your cousin’s birthday party on Saturday.
You’ve got a packed weekend! I’ve got something fun planned too—my cousin’s birthday is on Saturday and it should be a good time!