In our home I find that it is as important for me to think about what we will talk about at the table as it is to think about what we will eat for supper. The meal table can be boring--or lively, interesting, and educational, according to how we prepare for it.
Quite frequently I ask the girls living in our home to bring something to the table to read to us--a poem, a passage from a book they are currently reading, or a powerful quote. Recently I asked each one to share the book that had impacted their life the most, and why. We learned a lot that night and everyone wanted to read the book each one talked about.
The other night I asked them to come prepared to speak about some person who has influenced the world in some way. Some of the people we learned about were Annie Oakley, C. T. Studd, Eliezer Ben Yehuda, and John Newton.
Of course, if you currently only have little children, you can ask simple questions such as, "What was the best thing you did today?" Or, "What was something new you learned today?"
Put on your thinking cap and create wonderful discussions at your table. It not only engages everyone in heart-to-heart conversation, but becomes a place of learning.
Love from Nancy