Second Cup: Spark better dinner conversations

Find something to talk about, even if you’ve all been home all day

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to put some thought into sparking better
dinner table conversations. You may have been eating dinner with
the same people every night for the past five months now,

(00:24):
and that's after spending all day with those same people,
but that doesn't mean the conversation has to be dull.
Put a little thought into it and it just might
not be I know that many of us sit down
to eat with good intentions of connecting, and then we
wind up asking some version of what did you do today? Unfortunately,
if you're like a lot of households, nobody had that

(00:46):
much different happened today versus the day before, so we
wind up talking about who is eating their broccoli and
who isn't. So you might try brainstorming some questions that
will unearth something different, something you may not have talked
about so much. For instance, here's this question, how do
you think you'll be different a year from now? A

(01:06):
smart alec child might remark that she will be eleven
instead of ten. But this can lead to a discussion
of the privileges and responsibilities that come with age, and
maybe you can talk about the character traits you hope
to gain or the bad habits you'd like to lose.
By the time your next birthday rolls around, your children
might have ideas for you in this category interesting to know?

(01:30):
Or how about what's the skill you'd like to learn?
A lot of kids activities have been disrupted these days,
but as you think about what to add back in,
it's good to know what people actually value, and you
and your spouse might come up with some skills or
hobbies you'd enjoy too. What's your favorite thing to do
on a Saturday afternoon? This question can reveal some interesting

(01:53):
differences in a family between those who like to be
out and about and those whose idea of a good
time is lazing on the cow much It's a good
reminder that family members do not inherit the same personalities.
What's something you haven't done in a long time that
you really miss This can help you plan your vacation
schedule for or what you'll prioritize as your neighborhood opens

(02:16):
back up. If you could spend the day with anyone
in the world, who would you choose? Or there's this
question when was your proudest moment. This sparks some interesting
discussion in my extended family when my mother in law
talked about earning her m b A when she went
back to school after having four kids. You might be

(02:36):
surprised at what your family members mentioned. If you're looking
for more questions, check out story corps Great Questions List,
or order a set of question cards like those produced
by Table Topics. You can ask one when there's a
lull in the conversation, or you can create some more
structure by making this a ritual. Write interesting questions on
slips of paper and put them in a jar. Then

(02:58):
every night pull out a question or two for everyone
at the table to answer. Or you could put a
different question at each person's place. Once everyone gets used
to the routine, others can contribute questions, including kids of
all ages. You might be surprised about what the kids ask.
Memories of childhood pets, for instance, or of school experiences.

(03:21):
All this can deepen relationships and give you something better
to talk about than who ate how much of the broccoli?
If you ask a question that sparks a great dinner
table conversation, I'd love to hear how it goes. You
can tell me about it at Before Breakfast podcast at
I heart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura.

(03:42):
Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at
Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast

(04:08):
p o D. You can also shoot me an email
at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com.
That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For

(04:29):
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.