But once you're all sitting at the table together, what do you talk about, especially with teenagers who may not want to be there in the first place?
In a Sept. 30 post on the Orlando Sentinel's "Moms at Work" blog, Linda Shrieves addressed this very topic:
I've taken a tip from one of my friends, a wise, older mom whos a guidance counselor. Instead of asking your kid what happened at school today, she suggested asking about three good things that happened to him (or her) today. And I find that it works even if I have to jump-start the conversation with three good things that happened to me that day.Even with the prompting, answers may be short. But Shrieves advised against getting discouraged, and encouraged parents to follow up by asking for more detail:
I've learned not to give up. I often toss out some odd tidbit I learned during the day... or I'll tell them about a neat person I interviewed at work or something wacky in the news. ... It seems to get the ball rolling. We join in -- and there are never awkward silences around the table.
Labels: communication, dinner
Posted By: Aspen/CRC