2019-05-14 12:43:23
Why is getting information out of your kids
so hard? You're interested, you're available, but there's not a whole lot of
repartee going on. Here are a few tips to spark that conversation and get the
kids really talking about what's happening in their world.
7 Questions to Ask Your Kids at the
Dinner Table
1. "How's that Batik pig pillow
coming along?"
"How was your day?" is too broad,
and will likely generate a "Fine" or an "Okay." Be as
specific as possible to get a better response. Instead of "Did you have
art today?" (answer: "Uh huh") ask about a particular art
project. Then you might get something along the lines of, "Good, it was
cool how the wax kept the dye from coloring the whole piece of fabric."
And you're off.
2. "If you could teach a class at
school, on anything in the world, what would it be?"
This will hopefully yield some pretty funny
conversation. Plus, you can swing it back around to some of the classes that
they are taking, and what they do and don't like about them.
3. "What was the hardest thing about
your day?"
One of my favorite conversation starters is
for everyone to share something that was challenging for them that day. I think
it's important for kids to hear that even grown-ups have challenges in their
day and to hear how they found a way to work through it, or maybe even offer
advice. Hearing a kid's perspective on solving a grown-up problem is almost
always adorable and sometimes even helpful! And then, of course, the adults can
hear from their kids what was challenging about their day.
4. "Would you rather ... "
You can get pretty silly with these! Would
you rather have live baby shrimp or foot-long hot dogs as fingers? Would you
rather give up pizza or ice cream for the rest of the year? Or get serious.
Either way, one or two questions going around the table may make for a whole
meal's worth of conversation!
5. "What would you like to do …
"
As a busy family, you've always got
something coming up on the calendar. Ask your kids what kind of candy they're
hoping they get from the Easter Bunny, if they've thought about their birthday
party at all, or what they want to do over the long weekend or after the track
meet, etc.
6. "Can you name the ingredients in
this dish?"
Talking about the food you're eating is
sometimes the last thing you want to do with picky eaters at the table. But one
of the best games is to ask the family to guess the ingredients in a certain
dish. It encourages everyone to really focus on the food and helps to educate
kids about food and where it all comes from.
7. "How 'bout those Yankees?"
Occasionally dinnertime questions feel too
charged, especially when you have older children. Sometimes kids will not deal
with any personal questions. So try a neutral subject — for sporty kids, asking
about teams they support usually works. Other neutral subjects? Books, movies,
and Netflix series.
2 Questions to Avoid at the Dinner Table
1. "Did you get picked for the
play?"
In all likelihood if the answer is yes,
your kid probably would have told you as soon as she walked through the door.
You can still ask — later, not at the dinner table while a larger audience
listening. Your innocent question might feel like an interrogation.
2. "Did you finish your history
project?"
Try to hold off asking any questions that
could lead to an argument until after dinner. Yes, you need to ask these
questions, and yes, your son needs to remember to hand in that permission slip.
But you want the dinner table to be a place your kid wants to stay. Save these
questions for another time (but not right before bedtime!).
© 2019 XPAT LINK • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED