Something’s wrong when the Wall Street Journal is recommending that you have the kids research current events or that you fill a jar with conversational topics so the family has something to discuss at dinner time. From the Work & Family Mailbox:
Even if you find the time for dinner, you may encounter another kind of trap: The kids don’t want to eat together. Some families find they have little to say to each other at first, or that their conversations are drowned out by the siren song of the TV, Internet or video games.To counter this, some parents ask the kids to take turns researching a current-events issue and come to the table prepared to discuss it, says Meg Cox, a writer on family rituals and author of “The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays & Everyday,” set for publication in April by Running Press. Though many children resist at first, they usually begin to enjoy being the experts and questioning each other.
Another idea: making a “conversation jar” with topics jotted down on slips of paper. Think up the ideas during a school holiday or snow day, then pluck them out at random during a quiet dinner, suggests Ms. Cox, who is a former writer for The Wall Street Journal. Some examples: “The most surprising thing about me is _____” or “If I had a million dollars I would _____” or “The world would be a better place if _____”
Those aren’t bad suggestions, but, again, something’s wrong if your family can’t talk at the dinner table.