50 Dinnertime Discussions for Families

It’s no secret that family time around the table is extremely important. Not just for children to gain nutrition, but also because family mealtimes are highly linked to success. I could share hundreds of studies proving the science behind it, but this is the information that sticks out the most for me:

Regular family dinners are associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, tobacco use, early teenage pregnancy, and higher rates of resilience and higher self esteem.

{Find all sorts of useful information at the Family Dinner Project website}

WOW. That’s a whole lotta scary stuff that surely parents try to avoid. While mealtimes together won’t solve all your issues, they definitely can be beneficial. And why wouldn’t we do everything in our power to ensure our kids turn out OK? Something as simple as a meal together can and do make a difference!

I don’t know about you, but here mealtimes are a STRUGGLE. There is usually one kid who hates what we’re serving, or we are rushing and aren’t able to wait for our entire family to be present. That’s OK. This isn’t about perfection. In many ways, food is secondary to the conversations that happen.

Remember if dinnertime timing doesn’t work for your family, maybe it’s breakfast or even a pre-bedtime snack. The important part is having a time of day when connection is possible because it’s key to raising happy, well-adjusted kids.

My fifth grader put together a fantastic discussion jar with her class, and I liked them so much, I added more. I also loved seeing ideas on the menu at Old Nation Brewing Co. in Williamston. Sure beat another round of tic-tac-toe while waiting for food 😉

Feel free to print these to use too!

–> PRINT A PDF HERE <–

50 Dinnertime Discussions For Families

• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
• Tell me about an act of kindness you did for someone today.
• Describe some thing you saw today. I’ll guess what it was.
• Describe yourself using only three words.
• If you had $500, what would you spend it on?
• Did you see anyone needing help today? What happened?
• What’s something you’re proud of?
• Share something you learned today.
• Finish this sentence… Have I ever told you about the time…
• Ask me a question about my day.
• What was the funniest thing that happened today?
• What made you smile the biggest today?
• What would you change about today if you could?
• What could be a newspaper headline about your day?
• Name one thing you loved about your day.
• Tell me about some thing you read today.
• Say something interesting that happened today.
• What would you like to eat for dinner this week?
• How did today compared to yesterday?
• Tell a true story about something that happened today and make up a story. I will guess which one is real.
• What happened on the bus today?
• What was the most challenging thing you did today?
• What would you like to do this weekend?
• What is one thing that happened today that made you feel smart?
• What do you think your spirit animal is?
• Did you do anything fun today?
• Tell me about something that made you feel sad today.
• If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
• If you could be any animal, what would you be?
• If you could pick your own name, what would it be?
• Tell me about one thing you did today that you didn’t enjoy.
• Tell me about something you saw today that starts with the same letter as the food on your plate.
• What did you do in specials today?
• What is your favorite song of all time?
• Ask me a question.
• Tell me about one thing you did today that you were proud of and why it made you feel that way.
• What is something you wonder about? 
• Is there anything you look forward to tomorrow? 
• Who did you eat lunch with today? 
• What did you do at recess? 
• What’s your favorite color? 
• What are you most looking forward to tomorrow? 
• What did you write about today? 
• What was the most surprising thing that happened today? 
• Rate your day on a scale of 1 to 10 and explain your rating. 
• Where do you dream about traveling to?
• What is your favorite holiday, and why?
• Would you rather be a cat or a dog? Why?
• What chores would you like to learn how to do yourself?
• Who is your best friend(s), and what qualities do you like best about them?

What strategies do you use in your home to ensure connection? Drop a comment and help other families out!

Find more ways to connect as a family on my activities page!