This episode is about using time around the dinner table as an opportunity to connect. We talk about how eating can make conversation with young kids easier, because of easy eye contact, discussion with everyone, and adding an element of familiarity and comfort to sometimes difficult conversations. We talk about the importance of eye contact, and explain how you can pick up on how your kids are feeling by observing their expressions, mannerisms, and how they eat. Even if it’s only 10 min, the quality time around the dinner table will help us slow down and increase harmony in the home. We talk about the importance of having meals built into your schedule in a way that you don’t have to rush through it. We talk about the importance of quality family time -- time for dreaming, teaching, fun, discussing, and apologizing. We discuss how this open, quality interaction prevents burying or hiding negative feelings. We discuss the importance of family rituals and traditions that help develop good habits through habits and patterns. They can also provide an opportunity to provide consistent parenting that makes the home a safe place for kids to express themselves. We talk about other rituals and patterns like family prayer, reading, calming bedtime routines, and how they can also strengthen the family. We finish by inviting you to share your own rituals to celebrate your family in the reviews below or as a comment on the post for this episode in social media.

Breakfast and Dinner Together 0:25
Eye Contact, Family Conversations, Engagement and Fun 5:20
Teaching, Discussions, and Interaction 8:37
Good Rituals, Good Habits 14:00

“Somewhere along the line, dinner became just about the food. Whereas, if you think about the purpose of a meal, there’s so much more than just the physical eating component of it. There’s the connection. There’s the unity as a family. And that’s what we’ve really tried to focus on.” 9:21

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