Quick Tip: Great Dinner Conversations with Kids
You know those little things that happen to let you know you married the right person? One of mine was when my husband and I talked about family dinners, before we had kids. We both knew that it was important for us to be at the table every night…together, for as long as our schedules would allow. It helped us create good eaters, great conversation and time to connect once every day…well, most days. If we are home, it’s dinner at the table.
At one point, a friend asked me, “What are you supposed to talk to a 2 year old about?” and we had an easy answer…their day.
When every last bottom hits a chair, the game begins. The first person to yell out, “Thorns and Roses!” gets to pick the show that we will all watch, the game we will play, or the book we will read together that night. Next, they pick the person who will share their “thorns” and “roses” from the day. All ears are on the speaker.
It’s tough sometimes, but it’s the way it rolls.
Your “thorn” is something that made you sad. There might be one or even two. Somedays, you might be proud to say, “I didn’t have any thorns today!”
Your “rose” is something that made you happy. Again, there might be more than one. We HOPE there is more than one.
Our daughter has been participating since she screeched, “Tones and Woses” one night around the age of 2. She baby babbled and we listened and nodded (particularly tough for the big brother). She loved being part of the conversation. Now at age 3, we get a LOT of info.
When someone is done sharing their thorns and roses, they choose the next speaker. By the time you have reached your way around the table, everyone has had a chance to be heard by their family members.
When grandparents and friends join us for dinner, they are added to the circle and the conversation flows to include everyone at the table.
My favorite twist is to add on “What are you grateful for today?” during the month of November. It’s always good to identify what you are grateful for, right?
What strategies do you use to make dinner time run smoothly?
ABOUT VAL: As the Editor-in-chief of BonBon Break, Val loves finding and creating content to share with their readers.
A former middle school science/math/tech teacher, she put her career on hold to be at home with her son and daughter on an island in the Pacific Northwest.
When Val breaks away from her keyboard, she enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, camping, photography, tidepooling, sailing and potlucks. She gets a kick out of combing the web for recipes and making them gluten free so she can share meals with her husband, family and friends. She is a tech-gadget geek who is poked fun at, but it doesn’t bother her a bit. Combining her love of photography, tech and graphics to create new, fun content for her sites quenches her “thirst” for integrated technology. Read more from Val on BonBon Break.
CONTINUE READING IN THE FAMILY ROOM
This post was written by Val Curtis exclusively for BonBon Break Media, LLC
Photo credit: iStockphoto
