Dinnertime Conversations ~ WFMW

When I was growing up, my mother always managed to have a home-cooked meal on the table. In fact, it was rare that we ever went out for dinner. What I remember most about those family meals, however, is not the delicious comfort food (and delicious it was!) but the dinnertime conversations.

I loved sitting around the table with my parents and two younger brothers sharing stories of our respective adventures or mishaps earlier that day. It was family time. Bonding time.

As my brothers and I got older and our situations changed (my dad was frequently laid off and he had to frequently take jobs far from home... forcing him to commute home on the weekends), our evening meals together went by the wayside. I really missed those times. In some respects, I think that we began to drift apart when we stopped gathering as a family.

Recently there was an article about this very topic. It struck home with me and reinforced my belief that eating dinner together helps keep a family close. Now that I have a family of my own, I want to establish a family meal as a tradition... one that is sacred.

Here is a list of conversation starters:
* What was your favorite thing you did today?
* What did you do that was nice for someone today?
* What did you do on the playground today?
* Who did you play with?
* When you woke up this morning, what did you most look forward to doing today?
* Name five things that make you smile.
* If you are feeling sad, what meal could I make or order that would be theh one that would cheer you up?
* Go around the table and have each person share what they think is your best trait. Take turns doing this for everyone present.
* What talent(s) would you most like to have?
* Describe your day as a color and explain why you picked it.
* Explain why you are glad to be in your family.
* What would be the ideal allowance? How would you use it?
* What would the ideal teacher be like?
* If you could arrange it, what time would I come home from work? Then, what would we do together?
* If you could keep your room anyway you wanted, how would it look?


For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas, please visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.