Better communication Day 22: Dinner Table Day -- Win a Free Book!

Does your family do a lot of best talking at the dinner table? Or do you rarely eat dinner together as a family, or as a couple?

Dinner time can be a terrific opportunity for bonding with your partner or your entire family. Studies have shown that eating together is good for kids, but it can also be good for your marriage. Your activity for May 23 is: Make Your Dinner Table Conversation More Stimulating. Try some of these tips and share your own:

• Focus on your spouse and your family. Turn off distractions like the television and your cell phone.
• Stay positive. Dinner isn't the time to start an argument or bring up something a family member did that's been bothering you.
• Write out some fun conversation starters (like "If you were an animal, what animal would you be? If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?), put them in a hat, and each night for a week choose a different conversation topic during dinner.
  
• Share something about your family history that the others might not know, or a funny story from your childhood.
• Reminisce with your partner about your lives before you had kids, or share memories from your children's earliest days or years.

How can you and your spouse (and/or family) connect better at the dinner table? Tell us in the replies below!

One lucky mom who responds to today's activity will win a copy of the fun book "Dinner Talk: 365 Engaging Conversation Starters to Help You and Your Family Connect." Reply as many times as  you'd like--the more times you enter, the better your chances of winning!

                                                                         

The Official Rules
To enter the contest, reply to this post. Click on the 'reply to post' button at the top (or bottom) of that post. When the text box opens, add your reply. Once you've added your reply, click on the "Add Reply' button.

• Posts must be made between Sunday, May 22 at 10 pm EST and Friday, May 27 at 11:00 am EST.  
• This contest will end on Friday, May 27 at 11am EST. 
• One winner will be selected randomly.
• The winner will be posted on this thread and will be notified via CafeMom PM.
• Multiple replies are allowed and will increase  your chances of winning.
• Prizes are only available to members who live in the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
• One winner will receive a copy of "Dinner Talk."

[splendidbaby]

We read stories or play hidden pictures at the table while eating.  It keeps the kids busy and they sit there with us!

[splendidbaby]

I ask the kids to tell Daddy things about their day.

[marisab]

We turned off everything today and talked

[TexasWife]

 We don't ususally get to eat dinner together. My ususal dinner talk is about the kids eating. "Are you sure you are done?" and asking about their days.

[TexasWife]

When my husband is actually at home to eat dinner then we talk about our day, our future goals, and what is coming up in our lives.

[m.u.m.]

 we love talking about the best parts of our days, our one favorite thing that happened, even if it was the moment we stopped and chilled.