The Dinner Table

Family dinners are such an important part of staying connected. It's not a matter of whether it's a home-cooked meal or take out -- what matters is the sharing of time and conversation. When I was a kid I loved hearing my father's childhood stories, both humorous and tragic. To this day I feel the connection to my father through the stories he shared. But around the time I was 11, the TV was introduced to the dining room and the stories around the dinner table became those of the sitcoms and dramas.  So to keep the communication and connection alive within my own family now I'm constantly thinking up ways to create dinner games and rituals to stay connected.  I loved the articles that I recently stumbled on:
From Oprah.com -- An excerpt from Laurie David's book The Family Dinner -- 3 Fun Ways to Avoid the Silent Dinner Table.  Tired of "How was your day" questions? David discusses different games to get everyone talking and introduce more playfulness around the dinner table.
On Time.com, The Magic of the Family Meal, details just why family dinners are so important to  children's development, resilience, and health.