I’m a big fan of the family dinner. As the kids have gotten older though, we have less and less nights where we are all home for dinner at the same time. And I’ve noticed our dinners are more rushed either because the kids need to move on to homework or we need to leave for a meeting or activity.
Honestly, sometimes the family dinner almost feels like I throw food at the kids and they throw their empty plates back. I try to ask them questions about school, but most parents will relate to the “not much”, “boring”, and “nothing” answers. The best we can hope for sometimes is a summary of a TV show they watched, or the news of a classmates escapades on the playground.
I found The Conversation Piece Collection at a library sale. I have high hopes it will restore conversation to our dinner time. I almost wrote dinner hour, but can’t remember the last time dinner took an hour to eat! The book has conversation starters that the authors call “creative questions to tickle the mind”. Some of the questions are directed toward parents, one section involves questions about Christmas. Some questions are really just for the mom and dad, but the answers will probably fascinate the kids. Other questions will challenge everyone’s imagination. And some questions will require a bit of look inside ourselves.
The book asks questions like:
If you could add a new room to your house, what would it be?
What world record would you like to beat or create?
If you were getting a bouquet with three types of flowers, which kinds of flowers would you like?
Did you ever do anything for your children that you never would have done for anyone else?
As a child who was your hero?
If fallen snow had a scent, what scent would you want it to have?
What holiday song do you know all the lyrics to?
Which song drives you crazy?
I have high hopes that this book will restore conversation to our dinner time. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Also See:
Families Forum on Family Meals
Why Families Should Eat Dinner Together
The Importance of Family Traditions