By David, blogger, husband and Dad of 4 kids under 10.
Between school, sports and life sometimes it is hard to slow down as a family and just talk. Sometimes as parents we feel out of touch or don’t even know what to say as it has been a while since we were 8. We all ask how school was then the eye rolls ensue. How do we as parents in today’s society connect with our kids around dinner time. These tips won’t solve all the problems but I think they will help us as parents connect with our kids. Side note, I know we leave TV on sometimes for background noise but if you want to connect make sure to turn off the TV and put away the Cell phones.
Dinner Time Questions:
- What is the funniest thing that happened today? This helps to get the conversation rolling with a little bit light heartedness. Sometimes you will hear about some noises some kid made, or someone slipped on something. They may even point out something we did as a parent, and that’s ok as we need to laugh at ourselves as well.
- What was the highlight of the day? This enables everyone to speak out about something that they enjoyed. Maybe it’s a grade they received or a new friend they made or maybe they are just glad to be home. I love this question because as you ask it day after day you will find that they like sharing this one and it gains you insight into the things they enjoy.
- If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go? This helps our kids remember it isn’t just about the things they see everyday but what do they want to see. If you live in the country maybe they want to go to the city or maybe they want to go to see the mountains. No answer is wrong.
- If you could only eat one fruit forever – what fruit would it be? This is a fun one as it makes us really think about what our favorite fruit is. Of course you can change with question up to be vegetable or meat etc. Remember it’s about having conversation there isn’t a wrong answer.
- If you could have one superpower what would it be? When I ask this question to my kids I am always blown away by their answers. Most of the time they are either down right funny or amazingly heart felt. This enables them to use their imagination and encourages them to be creative.
There you have five questions to get your conversation going around dinner time. Remember these questions aren’t just for the kids to answer but you need to play along as well and share your thoughts. This way your kids are learning new things about mom and dad as well. Who knows it might just get your family asking other questions as well and interacting with each other without a screen in front of them. When that happens I call it a Family win!
Author Bio
David writes at DadLifeLessons.com and is on Dad journey with 4 kids (currently under 10 years of age) and an amazing wife. He writes about Dad Life, Funny Lessons, Money, Tech and even meals. If you want to follow along on social media you can on Twitter or Instagram.
