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​​​​​At the Table Issue12345

Make a Commitment to ​​Family ​Mealtime

Let’s be honest: By the time children ​enter elementary school, ​parents are ​running ​from work to ​​swim ​lessons, ​dance classes, and soccer practices. Add multiple children to the mix with multiple activities, and the weeknights become pretty hectic. All is not lost! Making time for family meals is possible, and it can make a lasting positive impression on parents and children alike.

To get started, take the dinner-table pledge​! Let it become your first step toward meaningful conversations around the dinner table this month. Garner everyone’s input, commit to a dinner schedule that’s realistic for your family, and work together to achieve your goal.

If this is your first time sitting down together as a family in a while, it could ​be awkward. The first step is to make sure the atmosphere is appropriate. Few things in life shut down a conversation faster than a smartphone or television screen, so make the dinner table a no-screen zone. Treat your family meals as ​sacred, and focus on the faces at your table, not the digital distractions within arm’s reach.

Dinnertime Activity

The High/Low Game

In this activity, everyone around the table takes a turn sharing the best thing that happened that day, which is their high, and the worst thing that happened, which is their low. This is an easy activity for even the little ones to join in on; ​their high may be as simple as ​playing at daycare, and their low may be the broccoli on their plate. This game will help teach your children the important social skill of talking with others.

Follow these simple steps:

  1. Look at the person.
  2. Use a pleasant voice.
  3. Ask questions.
  4. Don’t interrupt.

conversation starter

Funniest Thing That Happened Today?

To keep the conversation going, ask your children some fun open-ended ​questions. For example: What’s the funniest thing that happened at school today? If we won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy?

Coming up in Issue 2

Manners Matter

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Who Will Be Manners Master?

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What Have You Said That You Regret?

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