megram - Index

megram - magazine - Index

Here is a sampling of card sets and books that are guaranteed to
get the conversation flowing. They really do work:
Keep Talking: Daily Conversation Starters for the Family Meal, by
Maureen Treacy Lahr and Julie Pfitzinger, Liguori Publications,
2005. Questions include, “If you could rename yourself, what
name would you choose?” and “Describe your ‘dream job’ in
detail.”
Table Topics Conversation Cards – Family Edition, published by Table
Topics (www.tabletopics.com). Last night’s discussion was about the
heady topic of “What makes something art?” which, believe it or
not, elicited an opinion from EVERYONE. The night before, the
question “What is your favourite family tradition?” elicited a discussion
about our fond memories.
Ask Me, by Antje Damm, Roaring Brook Press, 2003. This book is
especially appropriate for the younger set, with questions such as
“What’s your favourite place to play?” and “What do you like to
collect?”
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Due West Magazine • Page 48 • Fall 2008
have seen. It might turn into a family
book club or a regular movie and
popcorn night!
• Ask the kids about their classes,
homework, teachers and upcoming
assignments. Find out if they would
like your help or want to brainstorm
on a project.
You can probably find some great
“conversation starters” at your local
library or bookstore (see sidebar),
which we found very helpful and lots
of fun.
Above all, be civil
Nothing stops a good conversation
in its tracks faster than criticism.
The next time you want to correct
your child’s posture or the way
he holds a fork, you may want to
reconsider. Says Stephen R. Covey,
author of The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective Families (St. Martin’s Griffin,
1998): “When people are extremely
busy, they may be with their family
only at mealtimes, and they therefore
try to take care of all important
family matters then. But there are
other, better times to handle these
things. When mealtimes are pleasant
and devoid of judgement or
instruction, people look forward to
them and to being together.” My
husband and I found that manners
could be talked about before dinner
started. Casual comments such as
“Let’s try to pass the food around
the table tonight rather than grabbing”
or quick reminders such as
“Napkins in the lap!” were far less
likely to bring a mood of strained
silence to the dinner table. And we
are always careful to save the big,
hot-button topics such as grades and
curfew for another time.
The data are in and the results
are clear about the benefits of family
mealtime. With a little bit of foresight,
planning and effort on your
part, you and your family can reap all
these benefits by making family mealtime
work for you.