Flowing Conversation

Hi everyone! Today's post includes some creative ideas to get the conversation flowing at your dinner table! I'm sure everyone has heard, read, or discussed, how important it is to eat together as a family.

With that said-I'm sure there is a varying degree of conversation at each of our families tables. Perhaps yours is almost silent...or never silent! Maybe one person consistently leads the conversation...

perhaps much of the conversation is spent trying to keep the peace. 

Whatever the scenario-I believe talking to each other..and not just sharing a seat at the table is so vitally important.

So, I've included a few activities that you can easily do to invite honest, fun conversation in to your dinner time!

 

The idea for Picture This is simple. Cut or tear out some magazine pictures and lay them out on the table while you prep dinner. If you have really little ones, have them tell you a story about the pictures while you cook (if they're not helping in the kitchen that is!) For older children, they could write their story down...and even illustrate it and share at the dinner table.

Want to get the whole family involved? Have one person at the table start a story (involving the people or things in the pictures), and then the next person continues telling the story where it was left off...and so on!

 Any time my nieces and nephews come to visit they love to get a Ziploc bag and fill it with "treasure"....just bits and pieces they've discovered in the backyard. :) Why not set out a basket on the table and have your little ones empty their treasure? Think of what a great conversation starter THAT would be!

 Excuse me for not having the scripture reference on this verse! It is so important to feast on God's word...it is what truly satisfies and sustains us, isn't it? You can easily find an old frame or painting (or old tray like I used!) and paint over it with chalkboard paint. This is a quick way to display a bible verse in your dining room! You can work on reading the verse together.....or reading it aloud to your children. Memorizing the scripture, talking about what it means....acting it out...or illustrating it are just a few ways to feast on God's word!

 When I used to teach a small group of kiddos at church we did a Sweet and Sour share where each person got to speak (I often had to time it..we had some talkers ) and got to share something "Sweet" and something "Sour" about their week. The point of this was two-fold-to let each person feel valued and important...and to be there for each other through the "Sours". Please note-this was NOT a time of complaining, negativity, or gossip. It was a time to truly share the hard things in life....to lift those up in prayer...and to consult God's word and each other's advice on these difficult situations. What might seem silly or "just a bad day" to us...matters to kids. Let's not forget to listen!

  Ok, so after all the family talk..do you ever struggle to find something to talk about with your spouse? I know my husband and I talk chores, our baby girl, money, work, etc. a lot. This little box of conversation starters has been a life-saver for us! A lot of times we're simply too tired to think of what to say to each other beyond the norm. In that case we'll pull these out...share some dessert or coffee, and have an instant date! We love these conversation cards. We come away from our time spent together refreshed, and feeling like we're dating again! You can purchase them here: Food for Talk: The Couples Edition

Happy talking and eating!
Sara