The ride home deserves enough quiet for the person to decide what they want to discuss.

The end of a demanding day arrives with everything still unsorted. Questions asked immediately land before the person knows what they think, so the answer tends to be the easiest one or none at all, which then sets the tone for the evening. Silence in a moving car gives someone time to reach whatever actually matters to them.

After a test, an appointment, or a hard shift, try saying very little for the first stretch of the journey. Let the radio or the road fill it. Most people start the conversation themselves once they have decided which part they want to tell.