Getting my two boys (a 4 year-old and an almost 8-year-old) to talk at dinner is rarely a problem. In fact, they usually fight about who gets to talk first, or not getting enough “air time.”

I realize that this may be a short-lived phenomenon, and it probably won’t be long before I get start getting the dreaded “duh”, “moooom,” and one-word answers. As a preteen myself, I distinctly remember sitting at my family dinner table and giving eye rolls and short answers to my parents–just waiting to be excused. And so, I want to capitalize on my captive audience while I can, and make the most of this important family time.

This is why I’m so excited about The Family Dinner Project’s mission and website materials. The dinnertime conversation starters and game ideas are great! I love the idea of bringing current event topics into our conversations. Talking about important issues at dinner is a way for our family to dig into difficult topics, and weave our family values into these discussions.

To incorporate current events into dinnertime conversations, try bringing a newspaper to the table, and picking an article to talk about. With the election this week, there is no shortage of current events news. I plan to let by boys exercise their right vote on some important topics: what to eat for Friday Family Favorite Dinner, what their favorite movie is, and what family/school rule they would change if they were president.

I can’t wait to hear the answer for the last question! I am certain it will be no vegetables for dinner or that they shouldn’t have to brush their teeth!

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