Questions · Mother and son
Mother-son questions for the car or the kitchen
Questions for a mom and her son, from boyhood to grown men. Easy ones for the car or the kitchen, stories from both sides, how you two talk best, and who he’s becoming.
- 16 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Think of someone who makes simple meals more fun. What do they do?
Isipin yung taong nagpapasaya kahit simpleng kain lang. Ano yung ginagawa niya?
A meal does not need to be fancy to feel full of life. Sometimes one person's energy changes the whole mood.
Hindi kailangang fancy ang kain para maging masaya. Minsan energy lang ng isang tao, nag-iiba na yung mood.
The questions
16 mother-son questions
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
In the car or the kitchen
5 questions
Food and errands: the shared ground of most moms and sons.
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Choose one food that tastes better when it’s left over for the next day.
Pumili ng isang pagkain na mas masarap kapag tira siya hanggang kinabukasan.
Back of the card
Some food needs an overnight plot twist. Leftovers can be humble, practical, and somehow better than round one.
May pagkain talaga na mas gumaganda kinabukasan. Simple lang siya, practical, pero minsan mas panalo pa.
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Think of someone who makes simple meals more fun. What do they do?
Isipin yung taong nagpapasaya kahit simpleng kain lang. Ano yung ginagawa niya?
Back of the card
A meal does not need to be fancy to feel full of life. Sometimes one person's energy changes the whole mood.
Hindi kailangang fancy ang kain para maging masaya. Minsan energy lang ng isang tao, nag-iiba na yung mood.
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Which ordinary errand would you rather do with a friend?
Anong simpleng lakad ang mas gusto mong gawin kasama ang friend?
Back of the card
The errand is done. Would you head home or extend the time together?
Tapos na ang lakad. Uuwi na ba kayo o magtatagal pa nang magkasama?
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If someone were choosing a snack or drink for you, what’s one choice that would almost always work?
Kung may pipili ng snack o drink para sa'yo, ano yung halos laging okay sa'yo?
Back of the card
Tiny preferences can be an easy way to know someone better. It feels good when people remember the simple things.
Minsan sa small preferences tayo mas nakikilala. Nakakatuwa rin kapag may nakakaalala ng simple things about you.
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What small task would you happily ask a friend to help with?
Sa anong simpleng gawain mo gustong magpatulong sa friend?
Back of the card
Would their help save time, make it more fun, or simply give you company?
Makakatipid ba ng oras ang tulong nila, mas magiging masaya, o magkakaroon ka lang ng kasama?
Stories from both sides
4 questions
Her childhood, his firsts, mistakes that turned into good stories.
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Recall a harmless mistake that became a good story later.
Anong pagkakamali ang nakakatawa nang balikan ngayon, na wala namang nasaktan?
Back of the card
What would the title of this story be?
Ano ang magiging pamagat ng kuwentong ito?
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Describe a moment that stressed you out before but makes you laugh now.
I-describe yung moment na stressful dati pero natatawa ka na ngayon.
Back of the card
Some stressful moments lose their sharp edges with time. Once the panic fades, the story sometimes becomes surprisingly funny.
May stressful moments na lumalambot habang tumatagal. Kapag wala na yung panic, minsan funny story na siya.
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Tell us about a small childhood memory you still remember clearly.
Kuwento mo yung maliit na childhood memory na malinaw pa rin sa'yo.
Back of the card
The memories that stay are not always the biggest ones. Sometimes one small scene keeps its color for years.
Hindi laging pinakamalaki ang memories na naiiwan. Minsan isang maliit na scene ang malinaw pa rin kahit ang tagal na.
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Share the first time you did something on your own and felt more capable afterward.
Ikuwento ang unang beses mong gumawa ng isang bagay mag-isa at naisip mong, "Kaya ko pala."
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "That was when I realized I could..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Doon ko naisip na kaya ko palang..."
How we talk best
4 questions
What each of you needs when the other shares a worry.
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When you share a worry with me, what do you usually need first: comfort, understanding, or ideas?
Kapag nag-share ka ng worry sa akin, ano ang usually kailangan mo muna: comfort, understanding, o ideas?
Back of the card
All three can be caring, but the order matters. Asking first can help prevent accidental frustration.
Puwedeng caring lahat ng tatlo, pero mahalaga ang order. Kapag nagtatanong muna, mas naiiwasan ang accidental frustration.
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When you are stressed, what signs do you wish I noticed sooner?
Kapag stressed ka, anong signs ang sana mas napapansin ko agad?
Back of the card
Stress can show up as silence, busyness, or short replies. Knowing the signs helps your support arrive earlier.
Minsan lumalabas ang stress sa tahimik, busy, o maikling sagot. Kapag alam mo ang signs, mas maagang dumarating ang support.
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What small action helps us reconnect after a misunderstanding?
Anong maliit na action ang tumutulong sa atin mag-reconnect after a misunderstanding?
Back of the card
Reconnecting does not erase what happened. It helps both of you return to the conversation with a little more care.
Hindi binubura ng pag-reconnect ang nangyari. Tinutulungan lang kayong bumalik sa usapan nang may mas care.
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What is one little promise we keep well?
Ano yung maliit na promise na maayos nating natutupad?
Back of the card
Trust grows through small kept promises. Seeing them clearly can make reliability feel less invisible.
Lumalaki ang trust sa maliliit na promises na natutupad. Kapag nakita ang mga ito, hindi na invisible ang reliability.
Who he’s becoming
3 questions
For teens and grown sons, when there’s time.
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If a friend said you have changed in a good way, what change would you hope they noticed?
Kung sabihin ng friend mo na nagbago ka in a good way, anong change ang sana napansin nila?
Back of the card
The change you hope someone notices may point to what you have been quietly practicing.
Yung change na sana mapansin nila baka yun yung tahimik mong pinapractice nitong season.
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Who is someone you respect for the way they live, even in small things?
Sino yung taong nirerespeto mo sa paraan ng buhay niya, kahit sa maliliit na bagay?
Back of the card
Respect often begins with small, steady things. A simple habit can show a lot about how someone moves through life.
Madalas nagsisimula ang respeto sa maliliit pero consistent na bagay. May simpleng habit na maraming sinasabi tungkol sa isang tao.
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What recent choice shows something that matters to you?
Anong pinili mo lately ang nagpapakita ng mahalaga sa'yo?
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "I chose it because I care about..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Iyon ang pinili ko dahil mahalaga sa'kin ang..."
How to use them
Before you ask
Mother-son conversations often happen in motion: in the car, while cooking, carrying groceries in. Sons, especially teens, tend to open up when the conversation is a side effect of doing something together. These questions are short enough to ask between turns.
The middle groups go both ways. Ask your son about the first time he did something on his own, and tell him about yours. Ask what he needs first when he shares a worry (comfort, understanding or ideas), and tell him what you need. Moms are often surprised to hear their son wants comfort before solutions too.
With grown sons, the last group lands well at a holiday or a birthday: what change he hopes people have noticed in him, who he respects for how they live.
Good for
Tips
- Ask in the car; sons talk more without eye contact.
- Tell your own version of every story question.
- Ask what he needs first, then give exactly that.
- Don’t save hard topics for when he’s about to leave.
- Keep a ritual: the same drive-through, the same walk.
Decks for this
Mother and son
Frequently asked questions
What are good mother-son questions?
Easy ones about food and errands, stories about firsts and harmless mistakes, what each of you needs first when sharing a worry, and for older sons, who he respects and what change he hopes people notice.
How can a mom connect with her teenage son?
Talk while doing something together, ask one specific question at a time, and learn how he prefers to be supported. Let him choose when to go deeper.
Do these work with a grown son?
Yes. Grown sons often enjoy the story questions most, and the “how we talk best” group can reset an old pattern between you.
Bring a better question to the table.
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