How was your Day?
How was your day?
By Allan Olson
As everyone knows, life often gets so busy that it often passes us by, coming and going. At our house, it’s no different. We are going to work, taking kids to school/daycare, getting kids from school/daycare, going home, eating supper at the same time, and trying to find time to enjoy the warmer weather and longer days that are finally happening.
Add to that mix my crazy schedule of meetings and games to cover, and our time at home together in some weeks can be slim to none.
One evening recently I was at home and this conversation started around the table; I was at first lost and then enthralled.
It’s not that we don’t talk at the table, but usually the talk is round-robin, with one of the four kids chattering about something or mom and dad trying to communicate about the week’s schedule.
My wife implemented a new (at least new to us) idea for conversation at the dinner table.
This new concept is designed to get our kids interested about what is going on around them, letting them know that there is more to be interested in than just them.
The conversation starts, “How was your day?” It’s a simple sentence that can sometimes lead to a lengthy explanation or just a basic, one-word answer, like “good.”
We try to find out by using this tool what the kids can tell us about school and daycare, and they, in turn, ask us about our day at work.
The answers from the kids can be comical and usually not very informative.
“What did you do at school today, Nikolai?” “I asked. “Played,” was his answer. It seems that is the normal answer for asking kids what they do at school. I asked him what he had for lunch recently, and he couldn’t remember. When asked about his spelling test, his answer typically varies in enthusiasm, depending on how well he did.
The success of this idea is measured not so much by the answers as much as by the participation.
It was really great to see it started by the youngest participant, Alivia, during one evening meal. “How was your day, dad?” I admit it took me by surprise, and it was nice to see it in action.
It would be nice to say that each takes turns asking and answering, but that doesn’t work, as sometimes more than one question is being fired off at a time. We just have to remind them to take their turn and wait for that person to finish their story before another question can be brought up.
Sometimes a question is answered with a mouth full of food, which isn’t always the best sight to see either, so it brings up another lesson.
The other siblings quickly chime in at the moment they see this, “Chew, swallow, then talk,” they say.
For us, this is working at keeping the conversation flowing around the house. As one television commercial says, “Have more than just meals at the dinner table.”
This week we are looking forward to staying home and raking this massive yard we find ourselves with. Man, this home ownership business sure is a lot of work! However, seeing the kids outside and enjoying the wide open spaces sure makes it all worth it.
By Allan Olson
As everyone knows, life often gets so busy that it often passes us by, coming and going. At our house, it’s no different. We are going to work, taking kids to school/daycare, getting kids from school/daycare, going home, eating supper at the same time, and trying to find time to enjoy the warmer weather and longer days that are finally happening.
Add to that mix my crazy schedule of meetings and games to cover, and our time at home together in some weeks can be slim to none.
One evening recently I was at home and this conversation started around the table; I was at first lost and then enthralled.
It’s not that we don’t talk at the table, but usually the talk is round-robin, with one of the four kids chattering about something or mom and dad trying to communicate about the week’s schedule.
My wife implemented a new (at least new to us) idea for conversation at the dinner table.
This new concept is designed to get our kids interested about what is going on around them, letting them know that there is more to be interested in than just them.
The conversation starts, “How was your day?” It’s a simple sentence that can sometimes lead to a lengthy explanation or just a basic, one-word answer, like “good.”
We try to find out by using this tool what the kids can tell us about school and daycare, and they, in turn, ask us about our day at work.
The answers from the kids can be comical and usually not very informative.
“What did you do at school today, Nikolai?” “I asked. “Played,” was his answer. It seems that is the normal answer for asking kids what they do at school. I asked him what he had for lunch recently, and he couldn’t remember. When asked about his spelling test, his answer typically varies in enthusiasm, depending on how well he did.
The success of this idea is measured not so much by the answers as much as by the participation.
It was really great to see it started by the youngest participant, Alivia, during one evening meal. “How was your day, dad?” I admit it took me by surprise, and it was nice to see it in action.
It would be nice to say that each takes turns asking and answering, but that doesn’t work, as sometimes more than one question is being fired off at a time. We just have to remind them to take their turn and wait for that person to finish their story before another question can be brought up.
Sometimes a question is answered with a mouth full of food, which isn’t always the best sight to see either, so it brings up another lesson.
The other siblings quickly chime in at the moment they see this, “Chew, swallow, then talk,” they say.
For us, this is working at keeping the conversation flowing around the house. As one television commercial says, “Have more than just meals at the dinner table.”
This week we are looking forward to staying home and raking this massive yard we find ourselves with. Man, this home ownership business sure is a lot of work! However, seeing the kids outside and enjoying the wide open spaces sure makes it all worth it.
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