Family Fun
4 Ways to Make Dinnertime Awesome

All dinners can’t be all things to all people.  What we mean is that every meal is not going to be the picture of family fun, joy and love.  But, you can add a little twist or special something at some meals. Maybe one night the focus can be fun.  Another meal could be educational or an attempt to improve your kids’ manners.

Here are 4 ideas to get you started:

1. Place Your Order

Leftovers again?  That’s okay when you make a game of it.  Do a quick inventory of what you have in the fridge or freezer, then write out a menu with the offerings.  Make a copy for each member of the family and let them “order.”  And don’t call it leftovers night, call it Family Buffet Night. To make things even easier for you, put the food out on the counter buffet style. 

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2. Mealtime Conversation Starters

The best side dish is good conversation.  Use iMOM’s Mealtime Conversation Starter Questions to stimulate lively discussions. 

3. Complaining Equals Giving

It can be very annoying to hear your kids complain about what’s for dinner after you’ve gone to the trouble of preparing it.  As one parent put it, “Why are we praying to bless the food at mealtime when we’re just going to complain about it afterward?”  So get a jar you can put on or near the table.  When someone complains, they have to put a quarter in the jar.  Tell the kids the money will go to feed children at your local food bank.

4. Manners Fun

Instead of correcting all through dinner, give the job to a pig!  Use our Pass the Piggy Game to make learning about good manners more fun.

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