Things You'll Need:
- A scheduled meal together as a family
- Conversation starters see step three below
- Time
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Step 1
If your schedules look like most families these days, then you may want to plan a night or two each week where you will make it a priority to be home for dinner and to not be in a huge rush to finish to get somewhere. This may require some coordination in the beginning but once you form the habit it will become an expected part of the week.
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Step 2
A simple thing that you can do to catch up with one another and what is going on each person's lives is to go around the table as you are eating and have each family member tell good and bad things that have happened this week. You can set a specific number each person should think of, such as three good things and three bad things. This will encourage members to share all aspects of their lives, and as a family you will remain connected with what everyone is doing and going through.
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Step 3
If you need more help getting the conversation started you can also use conversation starters that you can make as a family. Hand everyone a couple of blank index cards and a pen and ask them to write down one or two things that they would like to talk about. It could be things like, "Where should we go on vacation this summer?" or "Could we get a dog?" Things that the family could talk about over dinner. You can also do fun things like, "What is the best memory you have from elementary school?"
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Step 4
The point is not even how you get started talking but just that you do. As families are getting busier and busier, it is important to set aside time to spend together talking.
