Family Dinner Traditions: Kids Teach Mom & Dad

A couple years ago I started a ritual at the dinner table of saying what we are grateful for – I have posted about this frequently since then.  This ritual turned into a great family tradition that had helped my family and I learn how we are lucky.  It has re-worked our brains to see the wonders in life, small or large, and to mindfully notice them. 

It is time to add something new!  This last month we added to our dinner time routine.  One night a week the children present something they are learning in school to us.  They get to teach us about it.  (To make it fair we also teach something about our day).

Ideally this new practice should help my children:

• Overcome shyness in presenting by practicing once a week with family.
• As many of my teachers have pointed out over the years when you teach something you learn it even better - ideally whatever my children teach to my man and I at the dinner table will become more robust in their own minds. 
• I hope this increases their confidence and...
• I hope it gives them the floor in the family at least once a week - a special time when they get everyones attention and respect.  A rare commodity in a family with multiple children, and even rarer after a baby is born.

Beezus sharing a story with
our little man!

The first night we tried this is like the first night we try anything new.  I make my rounds earlier in the evening.  I always pre-warn my oldest daughter of my plan.  It helps her expect it ahead of time, think it over and, in her case, come up with ways she will not participate.  I pre-warn my second child, knowing she will look forward to new event, especially when it means having the center stage.  Then I prepare myself. 

To ensure anything succeeds in my family I usually have about five different back up plans ready at my disposal.  I find joy in combining in plans organization of my home.  Luckily for me one of my back up plans utilizes the papers that get sent home from the school everyday, cluttering my house and putting me in the awkward position of deciding whether to keep these papers or throw them away.  In anticipation of my children failing to come up their own subject matter to teach at dinner time  I brought to the table school papers that they bring home (i.e. graded homework, in school writing and math sheets).

For once it did not take all five back up plans, plus negotiating, plus begging, plus threatening (in which ever order works the best).  The kids each choose their subject matter from the pile of different papers and went about 'teaching us'.  My Ramon choose to read one of her in class writing assignments.  It was great reading practice for her and she enjoyed it when we laughed at the funny parts.  My oldest read through her health homework worksheet about the heart.  We learned the heart beats 3 billion times in our life times and that the right side of the heart is smaller than the left side.

Friday nights are movie night at our house!
We have gluten free pizza and sit in our family room,
 cuddling close on our sofas!
 Movie night turned into Voyager or Star Trek Night in January. 
We crowd around our TV and watch Captain Jane Way
and her crew try to make it home from the Delta Quadrant. 
This leads to some pretty interesting photos
made from a doodling program on my ipad.

We got a bonus our first night - one thing our oldest daughter taught us was to quiz each other at the end of our presentation.  The presenter can ask three questions of the rest the family to check their listening skills.  Each right answer is worth ten points.  We have to hit the table if we think we know the answer and the first person to hit the table gets to answer the question.  Turns out this game made the entire teaching event fun!

Teaching night was a success and we did have it again this week.  A little of the newness wore off, but we will just keep at it till it becomes a routine that enriches our lives.

 

Happy Saturday!

Live long and prosper.