Dinner Time Chats: A fun way to encourage conversation with your toddler
At the end of a chaotic day, preparing a family dinner and gathering the crew to sit down at the table can be a challenge, especially with smaller kids. However, the efforts are well worth it. According to ChildTrends.com, there are a wide variety of benefits that come from the whole family sitting down together for each meal:
Eating together can improve parent-child relationships, and give kids a sense of stability and connectedness. Children younger than 13 who regularly eat meals with their families exhibit fewer behavioral problems, and mealtime conversations have been tied to improved literacy.
ChildTrends.Org
Things to remember:
-These conversation starters are just that: STARTERS! If you ask a child what their favorite book is, ask dad too! Have dad ask the questions to mom. Continue to ask related questions as they give you an answer. If you continue to keep the conversation going, you may only need 1-2 cards per meal.
-Let these conversations be your inspiration! If you daughter tells you she would be a shark if she could be any animal, plan a trip to the library to find books that are just about sharks. Search Pinterest for shark crafts!
If you’d like, you can simply right click on the image below to print out the cards. You can also screen shot the colorful image at the top of this post to reference at the dinner table.
