|
Stories and tips from ETC participants
Many Eat. Talk. Connect! participants have shared their success stories – read about how regular family meals have made a difference in their families! Registered ETC! participants can share their stories by signing-on to ETC! and clicking on the "Share Your Stories and Tips" on the left navigation bar.
ETC! participants enjoy new conversations! I have found that dinner time is the best time for everyone to share stories about their day. It's funny how eager the kids are to share. It reminds me of my own days in grade school! I'm glad they feel comfortable discussing things with us and I hope it will continue.
We have always shared a "good thing" from our day and a "not-so-good thing" to spark conversation at the dinner table. Our 3rd grader loves to choose questions from the "Family Meal Conversation Starters." Thanks for that resource.
One thing our family likes to do at dinner time is play "high/low". We go around the table and each say the worst thing that happened to them today and the best!! It's nice because it gets everyone talking!! Fun game!! (P.S., you can't pick the same as anyone else)!
To help us all stay connected, we take turns going around the table sharing what activity or funny happening we remembered from the day. With a 3 year old and a 7 year old, it is very important that each person gets equal talking time. Once one person starts sharing, everyone wants to get involved in the conversation!
Since we started this, our family has enjoyed many topics at the dinner table. The kids have now decided to make some topics up for when we are finished with the idea book. Thanks so much for all your great suggestions.
My kids are having so much fun with this program! Each person has picked a day to decide on what to have for supper and the dinner conversation! Using the Conversation Starter booklet
I just wanted to let you know that I LOVE your Eat, Talk, Connect program. The conversation starters are great, and it has helped me get creative about making dinner fun! My kindergartner was working on the letter P in school today, so for dinner we had a "Welcome to the letter P party." We had pizza, pop, pajamas, and a conversation starter that starter with p. My kids had a blast making a banner to hang above our dinner table. I took some neat pictures if you could ever use them. Thanks again for helping to get families talking at the dinner table...and excited about it!
Since we have started this program the kids have loved taking turns picking something out of the conversation starter book. This has helped make our family meals a lot happier! Thanks for your help!
We loved the book of 'conversation starters!' Throughout the day each family member would write on the page our answer to the daily question. We sometimes learned something new about one another, it gave us something fun to talk about at our evening meal, and I kept the book as something to pull out years down the road. We'd love to have another book of thought-provoking questions. Thanks!
My family loves ETC! I am amazed at how my kids love to go through the questions at each meal--it has really led to some great conversations at the table!
My daughters love the conversation starter booklet. For dinner, they take turns picking out 2 questions to ask everyone. They are already wondering what we are going to do when we have answered all the questions in the booklet!
My kids love the book of questions that came with the welcome package. They have even started helping to set the table so that we can eat sooner and read the questions. We each take turn picking a question. The kids can't read yet so they select a page and pick top or bottom. Whoever picks the question gets to answer first and then we go around the table! They love it and it keeps them at the table!
My three kids love the Family Meal Conversation Starters booklet. We've answered each question twice. My 2 year old responds to every question with "Baby" and is so proud to be included in the conversations. Everyone enjoys hearing each others' answers and we have learned to wait their turn before answering. I didn't expect better manners from this program but love it!
We have been having a great time using the conversation starters at our dinner meal. Our kids are 7, 5, and 3 and they love to go get the questions and read the next one. It's really helped everyone learn to take turns sharing their thoughts and listening to each other. They often say, "Can we do another one?" Thanks for the great ideas!
Finding creative ways to cook together I like to share my Skillet Pizza recipe - families can have a super Friday night pizza party where everyone helps prepare the toppings. Youngsters can use a plastic knife to cut olives, mushrooms or other soft vegetables into little pieces. Use muffin tins to hold the toppings. Spread spaghetti sauce on whole wheat tortillas and top with the cut vegetables and olives. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted in a covered skillet over medium heat. The kids learn how to spread with the knife and add the pizza sauce to their tortilla. All are learning kitchen skills, saving money and having fun all at the same time.
We have created a cook book filled with easy kid approved recipes. I used a colorful binder with tabbed dividers and filled it with recipes on cardstock. We have added photos of us making some of the items and have left plenty of space for our new favorites. It's like a family scrap/cook book.
Our family started a tradition that we call "Make a meal day". We sit down and look at our calendars and each child picks a day each month (or each week if our schedule allows). This is their "make a meal day". They get to pick the menu, write the grocery list, go with to shop, and prepare the meal (all with a little parental help of course). It's a fun way to get them interested in meal time and preparation. My kids feel such pride when everyone raves over the meal that they picked, planned, and prepared. We've done it for years and even my teenagers enjoys it.
For my family, the trick to having breakfast together is good prep. On Sundays, I make a giant batch of whatever my daughter has chosen for breakfasts for the week and then in the morning all I have to do is warm it up, pour juice and gather everyone to the table. My daughter loves it because she gets to plan our morning meal and I love it because we are all able to start our day off together!
When cooking dinner the family always seems to congregate in the kitchen to see what’s cooking. I put out veggies and low-fat dip or apple slices as a healthy option to tie them over until supper.
My 13 year is taking some cooking classes at school. He gets to choose one of the meals to practice on at home. My 9 year old also wants to get involved in prepping the food. This is a great way for the whole family to get involved in making dinner.
ETC worked out perfectly when my 6th grader started cooking in FAC class and was excited to start making some meals for our family.
The hardest part for us was to quickly cook healthy meals with what we had available. We spent time putting together a better grocery list with some more frozen and boxed dinners than usual. We are also making the grocery store trip a little more frequently so that there is fresh produce for healthy snacks on hand.
This program has been a great opportunity to get the whole family involved in our meal planning and meal preparation. We have taken it another step further with getting the kids involved by taking more responsibility to help out in the kitchen and with setting the table, clearing their dishes, etc. They love to help and this has been a reminder to slow down and let them help out even if it takes a little longer for them to do it than to do it myself. Everyone seems a little happier knowing that they had a hand in it!
Finding creative ways to eat together
Our family likes to have a "progressive dinner" around our house. What we do is each of the four of us draws a slip of paper out of a hat (appetizer, main entree, vegetable, dessert) and then that person gets to choose what they want for their selected course and where in the house we will eat it. The kids are responsible for setting up their chosen area and just love being able to think up new parts of the house to eat in. They are also getting to the age where they can prepare or help in preparing their chosen course, which they really enjoy. These evenings have proven to be a lot of fun for all of us!
My kids are having so much fun with this program! Each person has picked a day to decide on what to have for supper and the dinner conversation!
At our house I eat with my boys before my husband comes home from work. He works rather late a few nights each week, and once he is home we gather around AGAIN and talk with him while he eats.
Here's a fun one! One night my son and I had planned dinner so that it would be ready when his Dad got home (he had been away overnight for work). His flight was delayed for over an hour, so we went ahead and ate. My son said he would wait to have a second helping until his Dad got home. So, without realizing it, he got to eat two dinners, one with each of us! We laughed about it, as it seemed so silly, but it was a nice evening!
I have children who are 17, 10 and 6, all girls, and sometimes the best way to stop the petty bickering is to get them all involved in a part of the meal set-up. It doesn't always work but the days that it does it is so fun to watch them work together. (I try to get pictures on those day. :)
Encouraging others to eat regular family meals together
ETC! has been a huge success at our house with all the kids getting involved asking each other the questions. I even talked to their school principal who was impressed and sent it out in their school newsletter.
Benefitting from regular family meals together
This program has been a good reminder to slow down, turn off the TV, and pay closer attention to those who matter most in our lives. On top of that, we're saving money, eating healthier, too.
We usually have a candle on the table and light it just before dinner. Having a candle burning during dinner seems to help everyone slow down a bit more and enjoy our time together at the table.
We are enjoying the "challenge" to eat together as a family! I'm finding we are eating healthier as a result of the planned meals. The program has been a good reminder of the benefits of eating together. Thank you!
Our evening meal together is one of the only times we all connect as a family. A tradition that has developed is going around the table and each person shares what the best part of their day was. Sharing this one thing leads to great discussions as everyone ask for more details, and often ends up including the not so good parts of the day. I think it has been very powerful for our children to hear their parents share. They are used to people asking them that question all the time, but not their parents. I think it has helped them to see that parents have ups and downs just as they do and it has lead to greater understanding and compassion for each other. Everyone feels valued, as they are able to share and be heard.
This has allowed us to put together a quick meal for all of us, or have a healthy snack and delay the meal if one of the parents is running late at work.
Enjoying spending more time together
Saturday Nights are declared Pizza & Game Nights for us. We order Pizza or sometimes make our own. Then after dinner we pull out those board games and play, sometimes for hours. It is such a fun night for the whole family and we all look forward to it all week.
I have loved being a part of this program. The kids eat better when we all sit down together. And the best part is my husband used to eat dinner in the living room while watching TV, but now he joins us at the table. We turn the TV off and actually talk throughout dinner!
My daughter is in kindergarten and I was trying to incorporate a little extra learning at the table. I will ask her how many rolls are on the table or name all of the items on the table that begin with letter "C", etc. She gets a kick out of it.
I love the ETC program. While we always eat dinner together, it has made us conscious of trying to sit down with the kids and eat breakfast together. I used to fix lunch for my little one still at home during the day and get busy with kitchen chores, but now I try to sit and eat with her so I can have 3 meals with her a day.
During one meal we were having together, my youngest son decided to copy everything his dad was saying. The irony of the whole thing is my son is a chatter box and my husband tends to be quiet. So we all were eating with my oldest boy and me talking a little in between bites. My husband finally made a comment and my youngest promptly repeated him. Only then did it dawn on me why the meal time seemed so peaceful. I turned to my husband and said "You should play the copying game together more often." We looked at each other and chuckled.
My two kids always complained if I wanted them to sit at the dinner table and eat...they of course wanted to sit in the living room in front of the TV. With this program they have asked just about every night if we could sit together at the table! What a great program...kudos Dakota County!
With Eat. Talk. Connect, our family made a point to sit around the dinner table rather than the typical Mom & Dad standing at the kitchen island with the children sitting at island stools. We were eating together, but not relaxing and enjoying our meal time together. The Conversation Starters have helped us have fun conversations and we are learning things about each other that other-wise might not come up. The bonus is that the dining table looks nice without all the papers and backpacks layered on it. Thank you for this wonderful program!
ETC! participants share their tips Having family meals together is a "no brainer" for us! As parents, it is important that we reclaim our family time and stop letting extracurricular activities overtake our lives. During a busy week, the dinner together might be the only time we're all together. One thing that we do in our household is "portion control." Instead of putting all the food on the table and letting everyone take as much as they want, each plate is dished up individually and put on the table. If someone does want more, they can have it (but usually there isn't a lot left over). This not only prevents waste, but keeps all of us healthy by preventing overeating.
For my family, the trick to having breakfast together is good preparation. On Sundays, I make a giant batch of whatever my daughter chooses for breakfast for the week, and then on weekday mornings all I have to do is warm it up, pour juice, and gather everyone to the table. My daughter loves it because she gets to plan our morning meal, and I love it because we are all able to start our day off together!
We have been able to keep dinner together a priority in our family by adjusting the time that we eat. Some nights we eat close to 7 pm, others right at 5. We keep it flexible depending on what activities are scheduled.
I have children who are 17, 10 and 6 - all girls - and sometimes the best way to stop the petty bickering is to get them all involved in a part of the meal set-up. It doesn't always work, but the days that it does it is so fun to watch them work together. I try to get pictures on those day.
The Conversation Starter book is great. Rather than my husband and I setting the parameters for a PEACEFUL meal, we had our 16 year-old read the "Make Your Meals a Success" and begin the conversation. It seemed to be more effective for all of our kids to hear it from a sibling than a parent.
When we sit down together for dinner we each take a turn telling what the best part of our day was. Our 7 year old now likes to know what the worst part of our day was, too. To put a positive spin on it we problem solve how that could be avoided or done differently so as not to have it happen again.
Start with a word have them have each person add a word to it and make a story.
Before eating, we take turns around the table telling what we are thankful for on that day. Even the two year old can participate! We also use songs from Sunday school as grace for that meal. We all hold hands around the table as we sing. It is always the children who remind us to sing or give thanks before beginning the meal, so we know it is resonating with them.
Since time gets very busy, we use our meal time together to also serve as a devotions time and "what do you think" time. At breakfast, we read a devotional book that has a short daily entry. It gives us something to talk about and gets us centered as we start our day. Then at dinner, we have a "book of questions" that get people talking and sharing ideas. With a bit of an age spread, this is great since our three year olds can share as much at their own level as our older kids can. And we all walk away knowing each other a little bit better.
ETC! participants reflect on their experiences
Since we joined ETC we have used the Family Meal Conversation Starters book that you sent. We have had a lot of fun with the questions we would have never thought to ask. We've laughed and cried over the answers we have shared but most of all we have learned new things we may not have learned about each other.
I thought this idea was really great, not realizing how very little my daughter and I eat together. We started last week, and after about 5 family meals together my daughter, who is 5, looked at me very confused this morning and said, "OK mom, what is going on here. You never make breakfast! You want to eat with me and always want to ask me questions. Really, what is going on here?" After stopping laughing I realized she was genuinely concerned. We normally have a paper out or TV on and rarely talk during mealtimes. This program has helped me to bring back what I grew up with: Family mealtime. I never realized how so few of us really sit together and talk at dinner or breakfast. I have actually tried to get up and prepare and eat together in the morning. My daughter seems so much happier since we have started eating together. Thanks.
I would like to share just some thoughts. I first thought this wasn't going to work. But as time went on, the conversations have developed and gotten to the point they keep going while we clean up and after all is done. I believe you have to have rules and guidelines. You have to allow your child to state their opinions and feelings without interruptions. You always want to have your say without interrupting so you have to do the same. Practice what you preach as some may say. Also allow others to choose or say what they want to have or make throughout the week. My kids are 5 and 2. My 2 year old doesn't say or understand a whole lot but even gets jabbering and involved, and loves helping put napkins and silverware on table. My 5 year old is loving being able to set entire table, help make dinner, and helps pick topics for discussion beyond the day at school/work. And has plenty of answers and opinion. I cannot believe how close my family has became since we started doing this. Whoever thought of this project- A+!!!
Our family shares a prayer before every meal. This helps us stay connected to God as well as helping my husband and I know what concerns our kids have.
I love that Dakota County is participating in this program. I have five children ages 13 down to 16 months and look forward to our meal times together. The conversation booklet has given us some discussion topics to talk and laugh about. Meal times are important and seem to be the only time we actually slow down and talk. Thanks for the ideas.
I just wanted to let you know that I LOVE your Eat, Talk, Connect program. The conversation starters are great, and it has helped me get creative about making dinner fun! My kindergartner was working on the letter P in school today, so for dinner we had a "Welcome to the letter P party." We had pizza, pop, pajamas, and a conversation starter that starter with p. My kids had a blast making a banner to hang above our dinner table. I took some neat pictures if you could ever use them. Thanks again for helping to get families talking at the dinner table...and excited about it!
This page was last updated on: 12/16/2008
|