It’s Time for Dinner!

As a parent, you may be overwhelmed with amount of advice you get on raising and educating your children. Much of the advice is good and valuable, but where do you focus your priorities? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Every child has different needs. One way we fail our children is by not knowing them. Our lives resemble a three-ring circus of carpooling, ballet, basketball, soccer, homework, laundry, etc. So busy being “good” parents, we neglect putting aside time to get know each of our children well.

Studies show that children who eat dinner with family five times a week or more do better in school and stay out of trouble. Dinner! It sounds so simple and easy. But, if you look back over the last month, how many times did your family sit down to a meal together? Did you talk and enjoy your time together, or did you scarf down your food in a flash? It doesn’t matter if it’s McDonald’s or Mom’s meatloaf, eating together creates family bonds, and it increases the likelihood of success in school.

So what do you talk about? Relating to your kids can be tough at first, but there are books and web sites devoted to “family conversation starters”. Asking about school and homework is just the start: talking about current events, the world around you, and what life was like when you were young. You can spark an interest in learning that will increase as your children grow. So call your family to the table – it’s time for dinner!

A few ideas to get you started:

• If I could write a rule for this family it would be...
• My wish for today is...
• I feel the most loved when...
• Someday I would like to be famous for…
• The best thing about being the oldest/middle/youngest child is…
• My favorite vacation memory is…
• The best way to apologize to someone is…
• If I could trade places with another person for a month it would be…

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