Meghan Markle Reveals the One Question She Asks Kids Archie & Lilibet Every Day After School

“How was school?” “Fine.” “What did you learn today?” “I don’t remember.” “What’s one good thing that happened?” “You picked me up.” Sound familiar? This is a recreation of conversations I have with my kids ages 8, 6, and 3 nearly every day after school. It’s like pulling teeth getting them to tell me one thing about their day, and it’s exhausting. That’s why I’m loving Meghan Markle’s take on getting her kids Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, to open up at the end of the day. She recently opened up about how to get her kids to chat after school, and I can’t wait to try it.

In an interview with friend Courtney Adama at the Godmothers Bookstore in Montecito, California, Markle revealed that she uses the “rose and thorn” ritual to elicit more than a “yes-or-no” response from her kids, who she shares with husband Prince Harry.

“Our daughter, she’s four and she’s a very strong personality and she’s incredible,” Markle said, per Page Six. “And now she’s in this moment where I say, ‘What’s your rose and your thorn?’ And she goes, ‘My day was just a blast.’”

How amazing is that? Asking about a rose and a thorn is like asking about a peak and a pit — what’s one highlight of your day and what’s one thing you didn’t like about your day? It’s a great way to get kids to think deeper about their day and communicate that to you. And once it becomes a ritual, they might be thinking of what they are going to tell you throughout the day. It’s brilliant, and I can’t wait to try it!

The As Ever founder also revealed that she has a “healing blanket” for her kids, which was given to her from the Godmothers Bookstore co-founder Victoria Jackson. If they aren’t feeling well, she will give them the special “healing blanket” to comfort them.

Other rituals she does at home include lighting candles and listening to music. “First thing I do when I wake up in the morning is turn the music on in the house,” she said, according to Page Six. The Duchess of Sussex added, “I always travel with a candle. I am so conscious and sensitive to fragrance, and I associate that with home.”

In a previous interview with PEOPLE, Markle shared a story of a recent time Archie and Lilibet got sick. Archie was snuggling with her in bed while she was working on her computer, and he sleepily woke up and told his mom, “Mama, don’t work too hard.”

“It was the sweetest thing,” she added.

Elsewhere, she opened up about finding childlike joy again through her kids. “When your children get to a certain age — when you’re not just playing in the sandbox with them but almost playing in your own sandbox again — it’s super joyful,” she told the outlet. “As a woman, a mom and a wife, to be able to find yourself again — in a way that was always present but that you maybe couldn’t put as much attention on as you now can when your kids are a little bit older — is a wonderful feeling.”

Before you go, check out Prince Harry’s very best dad moments — so far!