by Carolyn Miller

Created on: May 01, 2009   Last Updated: May 02, 2009

For over ten years, studies have consistently shown that student's grades are better when families have dinner together around the table at home. This is not an easy feat in today's hectic world. With long work hours, long commutes, after-school sports and activities and meetings, family members tend to pass each other going and coming. Microwave dinners, take-out, and "I'll grab something later" are the norm. Just getting together can be a challenge.

Those same studies have shown that when families get together for meals, more often than not the TV is on. This situation does not raise grades, nor does reading a book, doing homework or texting friends at the dinner table. Families need to be actually engaged with each other according to these studies. To get past the "How was your day?" "Fine" stage of engagement takes a little work. Another challenge is getting families to stay at the table longer than the five minutes it might take to wolf down their food.

If dinner time and conversation is new to your family, it might be best to have a conversation first about why it is important to you. Telling teens you want dinner time and conversation so they will get better grades might not be the best approach. Expressing a sincere desire to get to know your family will usually go over better. A commitment to having more dinners together may mean some family members might have to shift their priorities. Be the first to be willing to give up activities that may be in the way of spending quality time together.

It's not hard to find products on the market that will help you with games and activities to make dinner talk flow more easily and painlessly. Family Time Fun makes a box of game ideas and table topics called Family Time Dinner Games. It is a box of cards you can draw at random to get conversation or game ideas. An example of one of their game ideas is for everyone at the table to name as many red foods as possible. A similar product is called The Family Dinner Box of Questions by The Box Girls. Others can be found on Amazon by searching family dinner games. Dinner conversation products range from $12.00 to $25.00.

You don't have to spend money to have good conversation and fun at the dinner table. Just ask questions. The first rule of conversation starters (with family or others) is not to ask questions that can be answered with one word. "How was your day?" is easily answered with "fine". End of conversation. Instead, try questions like, "What was the best thing

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>